Yamihime: Wings of the Butterfly
by Suzume CA
Summary: After being abandoned in ancient China by Lilith, Hazuki's search for Hatsumi leads her into the company of legendary warriors of the Three Kingdoms era... but she quickly discovers that no legend could have prepared her for THIS reality...
1. Hazuki is Abandoned by Lilith

**Yamihime: Wings of the Butterfly**  
>by Suzume CA<p>

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**Part 1:** Hazuki is Abandoned by Lilith

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Not for the first time, the glow of transition between worlds faded into a beautiful woodland scene, but Hazuki was hardly in the proper frame of mind to enjoy it.

The reason for her current feeling of frustration gave a peevish sigh from beside her. "Well, here we are. No sign of her. Can we go now?"

"We just got here, Lilith," Hazuki growled. "We haven't even _looked_ yet."

"And this world does have traces of Lady Eve," Ken-chan piped up from his place on the Keeper's shoulder.

Lilith flicked the parakeet from its perch. "Hush, you traitor. If there are traces of her here, then we can come back _later_, Hazuki-chan. We've been at this _forever!_ Let's go to one of my vacation books and have a rest."

"Not interested," Hazuki snapped, stepping purposefully forward. She had no idea yet which direction to go, but anything would be better than standing here. Perhaps if Lilith would shut up for a moment, Hazuki would be able to concentrate long enough to get a feeling for these traces Ken-chan had mentioned.

"Okay, fine, no vacation book," Lilith sighed. She then hurried up to Hazuki's side and gave her a mischievous smile. "Then let's go back to that one world with the girls' school. They knew how to have fun there! We could let them dress us _both_ up this time! Come on, Hazuki-chan! A little cosplay never hurt anyone! Besides, you kind of _liked_ that one girl there, didn't you?"

At this mention of this world, and the one she'd left behind there, Hazuki felt her blood boil. In a clipped voice, all but biting her tongue, she replied "That's not like you, Lilith, to try to tempt me with someone other than yourself."

"Oh, I'd get involved, believe me," Lilith giggled. "Maybe that other girl's into threesomes?"

Only twice during her journeys had Hazuki's resolve wavered to the point where she felt tempted to give up the search. Only on two other worlds had she felt enough at home that a frail, hated part of herself had dared to say "what if." What if she never found Hatsumi? Wouldn't it be better to stay here and try to be happy? The first time was with the beautiful and gentle Fujihime, so like her sister that the temptation had been great to simply stay and pretend. The second time had been with Chikaru, whose easy acceptance and quiet wisdom had touched her deeply, and helped for the first time to ease the clench of shame and self-loathing in her heart.

At the same time, she cursed her weakness for even considering the idea that she would not be reunited with Hatsumi, and secretly feared that such wavering in her faith would be the undoing of her quest. Maybe she could try to be happy in another life, or another world, but could she live the remainder of her days wondering what could have been?

And so she reacted to Lilith's renewing of that temptation the only way she could: she snapped. "Don't _ever_ say that again!" she snarled, turning to face the Keeper. "No _wonder_ you've never found her in ten thousand years! You get distracted by _everything!_ How can you even _think_ about giving up after all this?"

"Who said anything about giving up?" Lilith scowled. "I'm talking about taking a break, Hazuki-chan! A little downtime for the weary travelers!" Here, her frown changed to a cagey smile, and she reached out one hand toward Hazuki's cheek. "And... maybe a little love-time as well? You certainly look like you could use the chance to unclench."

Hazuki batted the hand away. "I'm going to look for Hatsumi, with or without you."

"You _can't_ look for her without me," Lilith snorted, hands going to her hips as she set a defiant pose. "I'm the one with the hat, remember? You _need_ me."

"I'll find another way if I have to, then. How can you even call yourself her sister when you're this willing to-"

Hazuki did not have the time to finish her sentence before Lilith slapped her hard, and she tumbled backward to the ground. None of her journey-heightened reflexes could have prepared her for that: never in a hundred years would she have expected Lilith to actually strike her. She looked up to see the Keeper looming over her, her normally smug face thunderous, and Hazuki suddenly remembered that for all her childlike nature, Lilith was more or less a goddess.

"Don't you dare," Lilith said in a frighteningly quiet voice. "Don't you dare even _imply_ that Eve isn't important to me."

With the bravery of those who simply cannot recognize their own peril, Hazuki stood and faced her. "Then come with me and find her. No breaks. No vacation worlds. No love-time. Or I _will_ find another way, and I'll find her without you."

"Oh, Hazuki-chan," Lilith sighed, her mouth twisting into a smirk. "I think it's time you learned just how much you need me."

There was a blinding flash, an implosion of the air around her, and when Hazuki regained her senses she found herself once again on the ground. This time, however, Lilith was nowhere to be found. Hazuki continued to blink spots from her eyes as she scanned the woods for any sign of her erstwhile traveling companion, but she found herself alone.

Hazuki let out a frustrated sigh, wondering how long the latest tantrum would last. She pushed herself to her knees, then noticed to her alarm that her hands were empty. Still half-blind, she felt around for her sword, figuring that she must have dropped it during Lilith's departure.

Her hands touched only earth, grass and tree roots. As her vision cleared further, she looked frantically for her weapon, but like Lilith, it was nowhere to be found.

There was a cold, clenching feeling in her chest as she realized that this had suddenly become something far more serious, and potentially more dangerous, than simply Lilith being petulant. To abandon her was one thing, but to take her only means of defending herself as well?

Fully aware that Lilith was probably back in the Great Library, smugly reading along, Hazuki scowled heavenward, into the canopy of branches above. "Are you expecting an apology? Keep waiting, then. I'll find her without you."

She held onto that thought as she dusted herself off and strode into the woods, trying not to give heed to the other voice inside: the one that feared that Lilith was right, and that Hazuki's search had just taken a turn for the impossible.

* * *

><p>An hour of walking did little to cool Hazuki's fury, but at least now she had an improvised weapon in the form of a relatively straight and sturdy tree branch. No substitute for her sword, really, but it would have to do until she had a better idea of what this world was, and whether or not its inhabitants were friendly.<p>

At last she came across the first sign that it would even _have_ inhabitants, in the form of a well-worn footpath. It was far too wide to be a game trail, and upon closer inspection she spotted the occasional shoe-print in a hardened bit of mud. Human beings, then, most likely, and advanced enough to have footwear. This did little to narrow things down, but at least it gave her a starting point. Not a distant past like Quill's world had been, but probably not an alternate modern Earth based on the lack of cigarette butts or other scraps of litter along the trail. Apart from those extremes, though, she had no idea what to expect upon finally emerging from the woods. Would it be marble temples? Frontier villages? Something completely alien?

The sound of scraping steel provided something of an answer, and she whirled around to find that three armed men had emerged from the cover of the trees behind her. The apparent leader was a tall, thin fellow brandishing a nondescript sword (all she could be sure of was that it was not a katana), and his companions, flanking him to either side, were a much shorter man with a metal-tipped spear and an obese giant hefting a two-headed axe.

"Good day, my dear," the leader drawled. "Are you lost? Perhaps we can be of assistance."

Cursing her negligence in letting these three get the drop on her, Hazuki brought up her improvised staff and dropped into a defensive stance. The way they were holding their weapons and leering at her left little doubt that their intentions were far from providing _assistance_. "I'm fine, thank you," she said in a hard voice. "And if you're really that interested in helping me, maybe you'll put away the weapons first?"

The short one chuckled noisily. "Oh, but we can't do that! These woods are dangerous, you know. You never know when you might run into bandits!" The fat one laughed along with him, obviously amused at the witty irony of the statement.

"Never fear, though," the leader went on, taking a step forward. "We can offer protection during your passage through these woods... for a small price."

"I have nothing you would want," Hazuki grated.

As one, the three bandits raked her up and down with their eyes. "Oh, I wouldn't say that _at all_, miss."

Hazuki nodded inwardly. It had been apparent fairly early in this encounter that she would end up needing to hurt somebody, but the more they spoke, the more she didn't mind the idea. Now if she only had her sword...

"They never cooperate, do they?" the fat one said to the others.

"What a shame," the leader replied, giving an exaggerated sigh. "Just once, I want to see what that would be like."

"Do you want to see what _death_ is like?" Hazuki snarled, all but grinding the bark from her tree branch as she continued to hold it at the ready.

"Well, I can see cooperation is out of the question," the tall one smirked. He then nudged his shorter companion forward. "Just wound her. It would be a pity if she died before we had our fun."

"You got it, boss," the short one grinned. He then lowered his spear and charged, giving a nasal battle cry as he did.

Hazuki stood her ground, then at the last moment transferred her "staff" to one hand, then grabbed the oncoming spear right where the tip was bound to the shaft and drove it straight down. The spearhead lodged itself into the ground, causing its wielder to stumble forward as he lost his grip, and as he did, Hazuki completed her motion by delivering a spinning kick to his head.

Even as the little one crumpled to the ground, the other two were charging in for the attack. She swung around and planted the thicker end of her branch into the biggest one's enormous gut, doubling him over, then brought it around to block a downward swipe from the leader's sword. The blade snapped her branch in half, but was knocked off its course sufficiently to miss her in the process. Now with a shorter length of wood in each hand, Hazuki spun to deliver a blow with each to the leader's head, then did a backward somersault to get clear.

The three bandits were far from finished, however, as they gathered themselves once more to face off with her. The false cordiality they had shown earlier was replaced by a collective expression of sheer menace. "I've changed my mind," the leader barked to the others. "I think it'll be far more satisfying to just kill her!"

"You're welcome to try," Hazuki nodded, "but I haven't come this far to be stopped by the likes of you."

Then, without warning, a strident female voice cut through the air. _"That's far enough, bandits!"_

Four sets of eyes turned to see that a cloaked figure had appeared on the road, positioned so that the bandits were between her and Hazuki. Her stance was tall and defiant, with one arm outstretched to point toward the motley trio. Her face was almost entirely hidden by the hood of her plain brown cloak, but draped from the visible arm was a long, hanging white sleeve, like that of a _furisode_ kimono.

"Who are you?" the bandit leader shouted at the newcomer, glancing from one woman to the other with increasing nervousness.

"Glad you asked," the woman nodded, and a knowing smirk peeked out from beneath the hood. "At times, she is a wandering martial artist seeking a worthy cause for her unmatched skills. At other times, she is a guardian from the shadows delivering timely intervention when the need is great. But her true identity is..."

With a flourish, the cloak was cast aside, revealing a tall woman dressed in what appeared to be an extremely abbreviated white kimono with violet edging and _obi_, low enough in the top to provide an almost impossible amount of cleavage while at the same time high enough at its hem to barely cover her hips. Her high sandals and the trim of her white leggings were violet as well, and the billowing sleeves, probably containing more fabric than the rest of the outfit combined, were decorated to resemble golden wings. She had a bob of pale blue hair (so this was one of _those_ worlds, was it?) with a single lock, longer than the rest, bound behind her. Atop this sat a round white hat with beaded tassels to either side, and most unusual of all, the woman's face was covered by a black and gold mask in the shape of a butterfly.

"...a lone butterfly fluttering through a war-torn world! The messenger of Beauty and Justice, _Kachou Kamen!_"

And with that improbable proclamation, the woman charged the bandits, white sleeves trailing behind her, giving a fierce cry that reached its apex as she delivered a flying kick to the bandit leader's midsection. He went down in a heap, with her landing more or less on top of him, after which she sprung from his chest into a forward flip and landed by Hazuki's side. The remaining bandits brought up their weapons shakily as the leader scrambled to his feet.

The flamboyant stranger shot a sidelong grin at Hazuki. "You looked like you had things well in hand, to be honest, but I'm afraid I couldn't pass this up. Shall we, then?"

"Yes, let's," Hazuki nodded, and together with this bizarre masked woman, she rushed the three men.

The battle quickly became a rout, with both women landing punch after kick after strike until the hapless bandits, faster than Hazuki would have thought possible, turned tail and fled into the woods. Hazuki took a few steps in pursuit, then held up. At the speed they were going, it seemed unlikely that they would be back anytime soon.

As she turned to offer thanks to the one who'd come to her aid, however, Hazuki once again found herself alone. Somehow, the brightly-attired Kachou Kamen had vanished into the green of the forest without a trace.

Since there was little else she could do at this point, Hazuki continued on her way, wishing now that she had managed to at least wrest a weapon from one of the bandits. At the very least, she'd learned a few things about this world: it had armed highwaymen, it was likely pre-industrial based on their weapons of choice, and she was possibly somewhere in Asia based on the kimono-like garb and fighting style of the masked martial artist. And this was also, if Kachou Kamen were a representative example, another one of those worlds in which hair color was a lot more... _varied_... than in Hazuki's own. It was a shame the other woman had disappeared: bizarre as she was, it would have been nice to be able to ask her some questions.

About a hundred meters down the path, however, Hazuki heard footsteps behind her, accompanied by that same voice. "Greetings, traveler! It's never a good idea to walk these woods unarmed and alone - there might be bandits about."

Hazuki turned to see her blue-haired pseudo-rescuer approaching, but this time unmasked, and carrying an elaborate polearm tipped by a two-pointed spearhead that somewhat resembled entwined serpents. "Yes, so I've noticed," Hazuki nodded. "I'm grateful for the assistance."

"Assistance?" the other woman said with a frown, cocking her head to one side. "I've only just arrived - what assistance do you mean?"

"With those bandits a few minutes ago," Hazuki blinked. "I'm not used to fighting unarmed, so the help was appreciated."

"Oh, so you've already _met_ bandits?"

"Um, yes..." Hazuki said doubtfully.

"And someone came to your rescue?"

"...You could say that," Hazuki nodded, wondering what the other woman might be playing at.

"Ah," the stranger nodded, giving Hazuki a satisfied smile. "You met Kachou Kamen, then?"

"Yes..." Hazuki said slowly. Did this woman think Hazuki was an idiot? She had the same voice, the same all-too-brief garb, the same hair...

"How fortunate for you! She is indeed a hero of these troubled times. Such nobility, such grace... we can only guess at the beauty that lies beneath that mask..."

Hazuki blinked a few times at her "rescuer," briefly wondering which of them might have gone insane, if not both. "Yes, we can only guess..."

After looking supremely pleased with herself for a few moments more, the other woman turned her attention back to Hazuki. "None of which explains what you're doing here alone. Where are you traveling?"

"I'm... looking for my sister."

"In these woods?" The stranger frowned. "Was she captured by those bandits?"

"No, I... don't really know where she is..." Hazuki admitted. "I suppose you could say I'm... on a quest to find her, but I'm not sure where to start."

"Hmmm. What is your name, traveler?"

"Azuma. Azuma Hazuki."

"Well, Azuma-dono, if you wish, I can accompany you to the capital. I know the lord of this province, and frankly she owes me a favor or two. Perhaps she could help us seek out this sister of yours?"

"That would be... yes, thank you," Hazuki nodded. "How far is the capital?"

"Hmm, we could be there within... three days, I would guess. Shall we, then, Azuma-dono? The road is always better with company, is it not?"

Hazuki nodded again, torn between bemusement at this madwoman (friendly as she might seem) and something almost like relief at the idea that she might be able to continue her search without Lilith's help after all. "Thank you. Um... what may I call you?"

"Ah, forgive me, Azuma-dono," the woman said, giving a small bow of the head. "I am Chou'un Shiryuu of Jouzan."

As Chou'un flipped the point of her spear over her shoulder and started down the path, Hazuki nearly choked on her tongue as she realized both where and when she was. She was in China, late second century, near the end of the Han Dynasty.

And this somewhat addled, voluptuous, blue-haired woman with the butterfly mask and the cosplay-gear kimono was Zhao Yun, one of the celebrated Five Tiger Generals of Chinese history?

Mind spinning with confusion, but lacking any alternative, Hazuki followed Chou'un down the path. "What have you gotten me into, Lilith?" she muttered under her breath.

"What was that, Azuma-dono?"

"Nothing, nothing..."

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><p><em><strong>Next: Hazuki Exchanges Many Blows with Ryofu<strong>_


	2. Hazuki Exchanges Many Blows With Ryofu

**Part 2:** Hazuki Exchanges Many Blows with Ryofu

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The sound of someone politely clearing her throat brought Hazuki out of her sleep, and she reached in vain for a sword that was not there.

"Ah, good, you're awake," Chou'un grinned from directly above her. "I brought breakfast."

From her vantage point, with Chou'un standing not six inches from her shoulder, Hazuki found that it was all too easy to look straight up that hopelessly small kimono, and she scrambled to her feet, blushing. Chou'un either did not notice or did not care, and she lazily tossed the younger girl an apple. "I took the liberty of scouting the area: nothing larger than a rabbit for miles. It looks like the bandits may have decided to give you a wide berth, but just in case, I brought you something else as well."

Even as Chou'un went on talking, Hazuki was still trying to shake some sense into her foggy brain. The color of the sky indicated that it was shortly after dawn, so she'd been asleep for quite a bit longer than expected. Since starting her journey to find Hatsumi, she'd found that she no longer felt the need to sleep as much, so this grogginess was unexpected and even a little troubling. Was she letting her guard down?

Chou'un crossed to the other side of their campsite, where her spear was leaning against a tree trunk alongside another weapon. She picked up this second one and tossed it across the small clearing. Hazuki caught it by the middle of the shaft and looked it over with some surprise: more than two meters of cord-wound metal polearm with a wickedly curved blade fastened to one end.

"Um... thank you, but where did you get this?" Hazuki asked, peering closely at the blade, which was polished to the point that she could see her reflection. They were in the middle of a forest, and Chou'un certainly could not have had such a weapon as this concealed on her person.

"Never mind the trivialities for now," Chou'un said airily. "Have you ever used a naginata, Azuma-dono?"

"Not frequently," Hazuki replied, testing the weapon's heft: it was certainly different from the practice naginata she'd briefly experimented with at school. She took a couple of slow swipes and nodded to herself. It was not her sword, but it was something to work with, certainly.

"Yes, your form does look a bit rusty," Chou'un commented, peering closely at Hazuki's hands, then at her feet. "Well, you seem adept enough; perhaps you'd care to practice?" She picked up her own weapon, gripped it by the center of the shaft, and began to twirl it so quickly that it momentarily became a blur before she leveled the point at Hazuki and smirked. "I promise to be gentle."

Hazuki raised her eyebrows. "I beg your pardon?"

"Spar with me, Azuma-dono?"

If pressed, Hazuki would be the first to admit that she was no expert on Chinese history. She had never actually read _Romance of the Three Kingdoms_, and most of what she knew about the mythic past of her mainland neighbors had been learned playing _Dynasty Warriors_ and watching _Ikki Tousen_. Hardly a scholarly background.

Even with this in mind, however, she could not help but feel a visceral thrill at the idea of being able to cross weapons with one of the Five Tiger Generals. "Of course, Chou'un-dono. It would be an honor."

Chou'un smiled, then brought up her spear for a moment and gave Hazuki a low bow, which the younger girl returned. They then readied their weapons, and after no more than a breath, Chou'un charged, but rather than attempt to stab with the point of the spear, she swung it in a quick downward arc. Hazuki, who had been expecting to deflect to one side or the other, barely had time to raise the shaft of her naginata to block the incoming weapon. Sparks literally flew as metal hit metal, and the force of the impact reverberated through Hazuki's hands and arms, leaving them buzzing and half-numbed. Faster than seemed possible, the blue-haired woman rebounded from the block, spun in a full circle and swiped from the side, but Hazuki recovered in time to block the head of the spear toward the ground.

Here, to Hazuki's abject shock, Chou'un turned the defense to her advantage by continuing the movement and driving her spear into the earth, pushing off with both feet, and literally vaulting over Hazuki's head, turning a full somersault in midair as she did. This time, all Hazuki could do was duck as the head of the spear whistled past. She spun to meet the next attack, and found herself backpedaling quickly, blocking one strike after another. Finally, with a loud war cry, Chou'un again spun in a full three-sixty and swung her spear in an uppercut blow that knocked the naginata from Hazuki's stinging hands and sent her sprawling to the ground, landing unceremoniously on her backside.

As she stared up the length of the spear that was now pointed straight at her throat, a tiny part of Hazuki's mind wondered if she'd just been square-square-square-triangled.

"Very good," Chou'un nodded, relaxing her stance and giving Hazuki a smile. "I must say, I like what I see."

It was at this point that Hazuki realized that as she had fallen, the hem of her skirt had ridden all the way up to mid-thigh. For the second time that morning she found herself scrambling to her feet to avoid a panty-shot straight out of an ecchi. She quickly turned away so that Chou'un would not see her blushing, then went to retrieve her naginata from the low branches of a nearby tree. "Thank you, Chou'un-dono, but if that's what you mean by being gentle, I don't know that I'll be a good sparring partner for you." Once again she found herself wishing that she had her sword, to help even the odds.

"Well, I hadn't gotten around to the being gentle part quite yet," Chou'un shrugged. "I wanted to see how you fared at full-speed first. For _not frequently_, you handled it well. Shall we continue?"

Almost before she could give an answer, Hazuki once again found herself on the defensive, blocking a series of only marginally slower thrusts and swipes. By the time she found an opportunity for a counterattack, however, her opponent dodged in a blur of white, then took a hack at Hazuki's ankle. At first, it appeared that the attack had missed, but then Hazuki found herself ensnared by the long tassels hanging from the spearhead (which she had presumed were purely decorative), and in her follow-through Chou'un pulled Hazuki's leg out from under her, sending her once again falling arse-first to the earthen floor.

"Very promising," Chou'un nodded as she disengaged the offending tassels with a flick of the wrists. "You seem to be a natural at this, Hazuki-dono. Have you trained under a master in the past?"

"I've done what I needed to do to get by," Hazuki replied as she pushed herself back to her feet. Truthfully, she did not know from where her expertise with the blade had been obtained, and she had never wasted much thought on questioning it.

"Hmm, I daresay that with a little training you'd be a terror," Chou'un considered, scratching her chin thoughtfully as she planted the butt of her spear against the ground. "Perhaps there are some things I could teach you, Azuma-dono? It's been some time since I had a student of your talents... _beneath_ me, but I'm sure I could show you a _few_ new things as we travel together?"

Once again, Hazuki found that her inner geek - a part of herself that had been neglected for some time as the focus of her life had shifted to Hatsumi - was both shocked and quietly ecstatic about the idea of studying martial arts with one of the greatest generals of Asian history. Switched gender, blue hair and interesting costuming aside, Chou'un had more than lived up to her historical reputation, showing strength and speed that belied her slender limbs and exaggerated curves. It was almost as though...

Realization struck, and Hazuki felt her blood turn to ice. Chou'un was another sister of Eve, and the source of this world's _Souma_ presence. There was no way that she would be able to lead Hazuki to her sister, because Hatsumi had already left this world, just like all the others.

After staring sightlessly at the other woman for a small eternity, feeling her world crumbling around her, Hazuki realized that Chou'un's gentle smirk had changed to a look of concern. "Azuma-dono? You've gone pale. Was I too rough with you?" She held out her free hand, as though to steady her, and Hazuki instinctively reached out to take it.

There was no spark, and no exchange of _Souma_, and Hazuki found herself flooded with both relief and confusion. Chou'un was, impossibly enough, a normal human being.

What sort of world _was_ this?

"Azuma-dono?" Chou'un repeated, looking from their joined hands to Hazuki's unblinking eyes.

At length, Hazuki shook her head and released the other woman's hand. "My apologies," she bowed to Chou'un, "and my thanks. It would be an honor to study under the legendary Chou'un Shiryuu."

"Legendary?" Chou'un snorted, raising her eyebrows. "One day you'll have to tell me who referred to me as _legendary_ - I shall have to thank her."

Hazuki bowed again, this time to cover a returning blush. She was going to have to keep that inner geek in line if she wanted to avoid any more slips like that one. Having to explain how she knew as much as she did about her companion would be uncomfortable to say the very least.

After giving her one last appraising look, Chou'un let out a short sigh. "That should be enough sparring for now, though. The road awaits."

* * *

><p>The next two days of travel were without incident, at least of the being-attacked-by-bandits sort. There was still plenty of action, though, given that Chou'un insisted on sparring anew at each rest break, and from time to time would vanish into the woods only to ambush Hazuki moments later to test her reflexes. The young general was as tireless, it seemed, as she was creative in her "teachings." Before long, Hazuki was not only able to anticipate each ambush before it happened, but was slowly catching up to her master in skill.<p>

Or so she thought, at least, as every time she reached the point that she could fight Chou'un to a standstill, the other woman would give one of her customary smirks and turn up the intensity yet another notch. Hazuki had simply never met her like in all the worlds she'd traveled thus far. Her speed and endurance seemed inhuman, especially given the relatively soft-looking form that packaged it. And yet, unlike Hazuki, she was not gifted with _Souma_.

Hazuki still found this detail to be both baffling and reassuring. Baffling in the fact that simple physics and human physiology should not have permitted someone of Chou'un's stature to spin an eight-kilo spear around with one hand as though she were twirling a baton. Reassuring, though, in that it meant Hatsumi might still be in this world. Hazuki didn't want to think about what she would do if she learned otherwise. Lilith had yet to show her face, and given how jealous she tended to get when Hazuki was in the company of other women, she probably wasn't reading along: a fact that unsettled Hazuki more than she cared to admit.

In short, Hatsumi simply _had_ to be here, in this world, because there was no alternative.

Also relieving was the fact that Chou'un, while obviously curious about where Hazuki had acquired her skills, seemed to recognize that the younger girl did not want to talk about her past, and thus did not press the issue. Instead, they filled their travel together with talk of the recent troubles in the land (with packs of bandits at every turn, some of them more organized than others), questions about Chou'un's unusual technique with her spear (which she wielded more like a naginata, in spite of its lack of sharpened edges), and stories of the nomadic life Chou'un had apparently been living for some time now.

(Hazuki chose not to ask why it was that Chou'un spoke perfect Japanese to her, in spite of this being second-century China, never mind why she referred to herself by the Japanese transliteration of her own name. With as many worlds as she had been to, Hazuki had simply learned to stop asking such questions, even of herself.)

It was during the evening of the second day of travel, while they were making camp and settling down for the night, that Hazuki tried to get a better feel for _when_ exactly she was, by trying to pin down more details about where Chou'un's travels had taken her. "Tell me something, Chou'un-dono. Do you serve the lord of this province?" It did not seem likely, given the way Chou'un had referred to being owed favors by the lord in question, but it was worth asking.

"No, not as such," Chou'un replied. "I did briefly offer my services while traveling through these lands previously, but never as more than a visiting general."

"Is there... _any_ lord you serve?"

"Not at the present time. I considered becoming a general for Kousonsan, but she was... shall we say, not the leader for me. She's a competent enough governor, and does what she can for her people, but... I chose to ally myself with someone far more _impressive_."

Hazuki noted the use of the feminine in describing Kousonsan, and wondered if all the players in the Three Kingdoms would turn out to be women. "And who was this?" Hazuki asked. Could she mean Liu Bei?

"Hmm, you seem to have an ear for the _legendary_," Chou'un grinned. "Tell me, Azuma-dono, have you ever heard of the Black-Haired Bandit Hunter?"

"Black-Haired..." Hazuki repeated, trying to reconcile this with her own incomplete knowledge. She didn't think this meant Liu Bei, but then... "Do you mean..." she stopped herself before saying the Chinese name Guan Yu, and instead gave the name she knew better. "Do you mean Kan'u Unchou? Is _he_ the lord you serve?"

Chou'un's smile deepened with amusement. "He? Dear me, I can only presume you have not actually _met_ Kan'u, because there is simply no possibility that you'd make that mistake if you had."

"Kan'u is... a woman?" Hazuki blinked. Images of a black-haired, husky-voiced beauty in an extremely abbreviated school uniform flashed before her mind's eye, and she as quickly forced them aside.

"Every inch of her, yes," Chou'un snorted. "A woman whose reputed strength in battle is matched only by the _legend_ of her beauty. And while some of the stories have more truth than others, I can honestly vouch for both. I accompanied her and her adopted sister Chouhi for some time."

Hazuki nodded slowly. No mention of Liu Bei, so at the very least they were probably not yet to the oath under the peach trees. "Then... if I may ask, why are you not with them now?"

A rare troubled look crossed Chou'un's features. "We... became separated while traveling through a fog. I tracked their movements for some time afterward, but I lost their trail after they crossed the Han River." For a while she stared up at the sky, looking a mix of wistful and oddly embarrassed, but then she gave a somewhat forced version of her customary knowing smile. "No matter. Tales of her exploits will no doubt surface again, and I will surely return to her side."

The last was said in a soft, almost reverent voice, and if Hazuki didn't know better, she'd think that Chou'un's devotion to this world's Kan'u was something more... _intimate_ than the bond of warriors fighting for the common cause.

Then again, Hazuki realized, she didn't really know better after all.

"You should get some sleep," Chou'un said at length. "I'll take the first watch. If we get an early start, we should reach the capital by mid-day tomorrow."

"Right," Hazuki agreed, trying to make herself as comfortable as she could against the forest floor while keeping her naginata within reach. Before she could even consider sleep, though, another question came to mind. "Chou'un-dono?"

"Mmm?"

"The lord we're going to see... is it the Kousonsan you spoke of?"

"No, we're quite some distance from her lands. Tomorrow I shall present you to Lord Toutaku as a visiting general. Mind that you behave for me, won't you?"

"Of... of course," Hazuki replied, but her mind was already filled with questions. Dong Zhuo? The tyrant? The human candle? The man who brutally tortured his enemies with dismemberment as "entertainment" at his lavish banquets? _This_ was the one Chou'un thought might help them find Hatsumi?

Then again, Chou'un had also referred to the lord of this province as a woman, so history and legend were still at least somewhat up for grabs. But would a female Dong Zhuo be any less horrid than her "real-world" counterpart?

Hazuki closed her eyes and tried to get some rest. Perhaps it would be best to eliminate all expectations, and simply wait and see what this insane world had to offer her.

* * *

><p>No attempt at eliminating expectations could have helped, as it turned out.<p>

After less than half an hour in the walled capital city, Chou'un had talked their way into an audience with the provincial lord, and a green-haired, bespectacled official by the name of Kaku (also female, which was becoming less surprising every time) escorted them through the mansion house of Toutaku and into the throne room, where they were relieved of their weapons and instructed to wait. Chou'un knelt on the stone-tiled floor at the foot of a staircase leading up to the throne, and Hazuki followed her lead, while Kaku ascended the stairs to stand beside the seat of power. Within only minutes more, they were joined by none other than one of the most foul, evil tyrants in the history of China.

Who naturally turned out to be a tiny slip of a girl with a pouf of pale lavender hair, huge liquid eyes, and a forehead to rival Hatsumi's. She was dressed in ceremonial robes, with a shawl of purest white fur and a long veil descending from the back of her rounded hat. She had one of those ageless faces which, combined with her slight build and short stature, could have put her anywhere between the ages of twelve and fifty. When she spoke, her voice was high-pitched, soft, and even melodious.

"Chou'un-san, what a pleasant surprise! I had no idea you had returned to these lands! Are Kan'u-san and Chouhi-san with you as well?"

"Regrettably not, Toutaku-dono," Chou'un said with a bow of the head. "We became separated in our travels. However, I wish to present another ally of mine, who has already proved her mettle against the forest bandits. This is Azuma, a warrior on a quest."

"I bid you welcome, honored guest," Toutaku smiled, acknowledging Hazuki with a slight bow of the head. Kaku, meanwhile, was giving Hazuki a look of mild suspicion from beside her lord.

For a moment, Hazuki was too surprised by the pleasantries to react, but then she placed her palms down on the floor and bowed from her kneeling position until her forehead touched the backs of her hands. "Thank you for your hospitality, Toutaku-dono."

"Oh, heavens, there's no need for that, Azuma-san," the petite ruler said in a voice that managed to be regal and slightly embarrassed at the same time. "Please, friend, rise and tell us more about this quest of yours."

Hazuki lifted her head and returned to her previous position. A tentative look up the steps showed that the ruthless tyrant was blushing like a schoolgirl, while her major-domo's expression had gone from suspicious to cautiously satisfied. "Thank you, Toutaku-dono. I've journeyed many months now trying to find my sister. I believe she may have been here in your lands once, or with any luck may _still_ be here." The traces of _Souma_ had dropped them into this province, so there was some truth in this speculation.

"Knowing Kaku-dono's reputation for flawless record-keeping as I do," Chou'un added at this point, "my first thought was to present my charge to you and beg your assistance."

"As though I would permit one of the warriors who saved my life to _beg_?" Toutaku smiled. She then turned to the bespectacled woman beside her. "Ei-chan, would such a thing be possible?"

"Hmmm," Kaku considered, still looking somewhat flustered by the earlier compliment. "Perhaps if Azuma-san could give a detailed description to one of our court artists, we could send messengers with the missing sister's likeness to the outlying villages while I checked the archives."

"Wonderful," Toutaku sighed happily, turning back to her two guests. "Would that be helpful to your cause, Azuma-san?"

Hazuki opened her mouth to speak, but for a moment could not find any words. Finally, she bowed her head. "Thank you, Toutaku-dono... Kaku-dono. Your kindness is... more than I could ever have hoped for." She immediately wondered if those had been the right words to say, but there was no calling them back.

Any potential awkward silence, however, was quickly covered by Chou'un. "And in the meantime, during the search, I'm sure Azuma-dono would be happy to offer her services in return for your generous offer?" She cast a sideways glance at her companion and flashed her a quick wink. "She's quite skilled with a weapon, you'll find."

"Of... of course," Hazuki nodded.

"Splendid," Toutaku said with a brilliant smile. "Ei-chan, see to it that both of our guests are given rooms befitting visiting generals."

"Very well, Yue," Kaku nodded, though she did not take her eyes from Hazuki. "And then, perhaps, we might ask Azuma-san to give a demonstration of these skills? Kayuu-shogun is training some of her elite troops in the courtyard even now; I'm sure she'd enjoy the new challenge."

* * *

><p>Within minutes, Chou'un and Hazuki had been shown to their lodgings within the mansion (two adjacent bedrooms which appeared infinitely more comfortable than the forest floor of the last few nights), and then were escorted to the aforementioned courtyard. As they went, Hazuki noted the presence of several dogs roaming the halls or standing sentry; while they were far from the sort of animals she might have expected in the house of a lord (there was not a hint of breeding in a single one of them), they were obviously trained, and Kaku spared them barely a glance as they passed. Apparently they were supposed to be there, mutts or not.<p>

Eventually they emerged into a large open area, where four lines of troops were doing drills with swords and full-body shields. Hazuki quickly noted that all of the soldiers were men, but their general, who was alternating between speaking with Toutaku and barking orders at the men, was female.

Kayuu-shogun was a tall woman whose slate-grey hair was short and practical, but also extremely messy. In spite of its color, though, Kayuu herself looked to be no more than thirty, and she was dressed in a manner that seemed highly inappropriate for a woman of war. Her outfit was all in purple, and included what amounted to an armor-plated bandeau top, two arm-length plated gloves, and an ankle-length skirt slit clear to the hip on one side.

She and Chou'un apparently had met before, as Kayuu gave the blue-haired woman a sardonic half-grin. "Ah, Chou'un-dono! Toutaku-sama was just telling me of your arrival. I understand you've brought me a playmate?"

"Our honored guest," Toutaku reminded her general. "Kayuu-shogun, this is Azuma-san, a traveling martial artist."

Hazuki bowed to the improbably-dressed general. "I am honored, Kayuu-shogun," she said quietly, while internally she wracked her brains trying to remember who her historical and/or anime counterpart might be. Too damned many characters to keep straight.

"So," Kayuu nodded, looking Hazuki over but still addressing Chou'un, "is she any good in a scrap?"

"I've done what I needed to do to get by," Hazuki said, much as she had to Chou'un a few days before.

"Would you care to put our visiting general to the test, Kayuu?" Kaku asked, looking from one of them to the other. Hazuki was beginning to find the green-haired woman's skepticism a bit grating, but if this was what it took to ensure their aid in finding Hatsumi...

Kayuu turned to face her troops. "Gentlemen, give us some space! Find a wall, and watch carefully!"

The soldiers immediately broke formation and positioned themselves along the inner walls of the courtyard while Toutaku and Kaku went to sit under a decorative awning, joining another figure already seated there (this one wearing a hooded cloak and scratching the ears of a brown and white puppy). An attendant brought Hazuki and Chou'un their weapons, while another delivered an enormous pole-axe to Kayuu.

"Anything I should know?" Hazuki asked Chou'un, as Kayuu took a few practice swings opposite them, flinging the axe around as though it were weightless.

"Don't let her hit you," Chou'un offered.

"Helpful," Hazuki snorted.

"I have every confidence in your strength, Azuma-dono, but even more than that I'm sure your quickness will serve you well." That said, Chou'un took a few steps back to give Hazuki some room. The fact that she was remaining close by, however, rather than joining the others under the awning, made Hazuki wonder just how confident she actually was.

"Azuma-san," Kayuu called across to her, "defend yourself!" And then the battle was on, as the purple-clad general charged across the open space between them.

After blocking three successive strikes from the two-handed axe, Hazuki began to realize what Chou'un had been hinting at: Kayuu was strong - ridiculously so, even - but seemed to rely almost exclusively on the weight of her blows rather than on any great amount of battle finesse. All too quickly, Hazuki could see that overpowering the opponent was her game, and it was a game at which she _excelled_.

_'Don't let her hit you,' eh?_ Hazuki thought to herself as she ducked another swing and brought the blunt end of her naginata in a sweep toward the other woman's ankles. She managed to catch one of Kayuu's feet, but rather than having her legs knocked out from under her as Hazuki had hoped, Kayuu did a sideways somersault in mid-air and came down on both feet.

By this time, though, Hazuki had already turned with the follow-through from her own blow, and she used this momentum to bring a tremendous swipe toward the slate-haired general. Kayuu managed to block it, and for a moment they were deadlocked, the blade of Hazuki's naginata caught in the curve of Kayuu's axehead. Hazuki quickly realized that she would not win a tug-of-war with this opponent, so when Kayuu made to wrench the younger girl's weapon up and away, Hazuki simply let go of it. The sudden lack of resistance completely threw Kayuu off-balance, and she staggered back a few steps while the force of her upward push sent the naginata spinning into the air. Hazuki made a flying leap and snagged it by the center of the shaft, then landed just in time to parry another blow from the axe.

They sparred for several breathless minutes, and Hazuki gave as good as she got. Kayuu's fighting style was nothing like Chou'un's, but the training Hazuki had received from the latter was proving invaluable nonetheless. All along, Chou'un had been forcing Hazuki to learn to adapt, first to the new weapon and then to the ever-increasing level of attack. And now here she was, learning her opponent and fighting another of history's generals to a standstill. Doing what she needed to do to get by, just as she had for her entire journey.

Finally, after once more locking shafts and then pushing away from one another, Kayuu took a deep breath, planted the end of her axe against the ground and laughed heartily. "You're most impressive, Azuma-dono! I can see that Chou'un-dono has taught you a few tricks."

"Thank you, Kayuu-shogun," Hazuki bowed.

"All the tricks in the world are useless if the pupil lacks the desire to learn them," Chou'un said, stepping up beside Hazuki and giving her a sly smile. "I'm lucky to have such an adept student as Azuma-dono. There is _much_ that I wish to teach her."

Kayuu gave a snort of laughter. "I have no doubt. Azuma-dono, I do hope you and I have the chance to discuss technique during your stay. I must say, I can't guess your homeland by your clothing, but perhaps we might all learn a thing or two from your native style?"

"Thank you for that display of your skills, Azuma-dono," Toutaku said then, approaching the three fighters with a somewhat stunned-looking Kaku at her side. "We are truly honored to welcome you both as visiting generals."

"Yes, yes," Kaku nodded. "We ask only that your weapons serve to defend the province for the duration of your stay."

"Of course, Kaku-dono," Chou'un nodded, looking unaccountably pleased. "Now," she went on, briskly, "the road has been long, and my companion has fought hard. If we might impose to use your bathhouse..?"

"Wait," came a soft voice, bringing all conversation to a halt. As one, the five women turned to see the hooded figure stand up, set the dog down and pull off her cloak.

Hazuki had met some oddly-attired women since arriving in this world, but this one practically defied description. She was dressed in heavy boots and thigh-high leggings, with a tiny white skirt and a tattered black half-cloak belted to her waist, so that the latter hung to her calves. She wore what was more or less a skin-tight halter top, leaving her midriff bare, with detached sleeves strapped to her arms just beneath each shoulder. On her left side, both the sleeve and the halter were white with gold inlay, while on her right side the fabric was black as night. Her hands were bandaged from the wrists to the first knuckle of each finger. Her hair was a halo of dark pink, with two thin locks rising almost straight up from her forehead, then trailing away behind her like pheasant plumes. Her eyes, almost the same shade of pink as her hair, were blank, almost vacant, and her face held no expression whatsoever.

"Let me fight her," the woman said, her voice barely more than a whisper.

It didn't take Hazuki long to realize that she was in for it now, given the way that Kayuu slowly backed away to stand with some of her troops, not to mention the nervous smiles both Toutaku and Kaku gave her as they headed back to their previous seats. Hazuki watched as the pink-haired woman picked up an absolutely lethal-looking naginata from where it had been leaning against the wall nearby. With her back turned, Hazuki saw that her skin, which was a slightly darker shade than any of the others present, was decorated with a series of tattoos that looked something like vines, but sharp and blade-like, twisting from her waist to her shoulder blades.

Chou'un put a hand on Hazuki's shoulder and gave her a nod. "Remember, Azuma-dono, grace in defeat is a virtue."

"Who is she?" Hazuki asked quietly.

"That, my friend, is the strongest fighter to walk this land: Ryofu Housen." Chou'un gave Hazuki's shoulder one more pat, then backed away.

Hazuki stared across the open courtyard at the pink-haired warrior, and for a moment she could not reconcile what she was seeing with that name. Still, even if this Ryofu lacked the green pigtails and impossible cleavage, if she were anything like her historical or pop-culture counterpart, Hazuki might very well find herself fighting for her life this time rather than simply sparring.

Then, as though reading her mind, Ryofu spoke. "I promise not to injure you. Chou'un is my friend." Then, without another word, or indeed a change of expression, she charged.

Since beginning her journey, Hazuki had been in many fights, though to this point she had been using her sword, which itself possessed a tiny piece of Hatsumi's essence. With that sword, she had been unstoppable, rising to meet any challenge the worlds had thrown at her. She had fought back eight samurai to save a young kitsune, yet managed the restraint needed to prevent herself from delivering a lethal blow to a single one of them. She had dispatched a dozen ninjas in a matter of thirty seconds. She had beaten an enormous enchanted cat-thing that had been worshiped as a god by a primitive tribe. In every fight, she had unconsciously risen to the level of her foe and, as she had told both Chou'un and Kayuu, done what she needed to do.

This world, however, had not been so easy. So far she had fought Chou'un, who was quickness itself, and Kayuu, who was impossibly strong, and she held no illusions that she could beat either one of them with a weapon that was still somewhat new to her. Still, she had held her own against each of them.

Ryofu, however, was something else again. Where Chou'un was quicksilver, Ryofu was lightning. Where Kayuu was an ox, Ryofu was a charging rhino.

Hazuki managed to block Ryofu's opening swing, but the shock of it rang through her entire body, and literally sent her flying. She managed to right herself in time to "land" feet-first against the side of the courtyard wall as soldiers ducked to either side, then without really thinking about how crazy this was, she pushed off, turned a midair somersault, and brought her naginata down as hard as she could, only for Ryofu to sidestep out of the way in a blur of motion. Ryofu swung again, holding her weapon one-handed, and while Hazuki was again able to block, she actually slid back almost a full meter, her shoes cutting furrows in the ground beneath her.

She knew, then and there, that she had no chance of winning this fight, even if she managed to make the luckiest of shots. Doing what she had to do would simply not be enough. Her strength and focus, which had never failed her, had finally met their match in this impossible world and its warrior women. But why here? Why now?

In that moment, as she desperately parried blow after blow from the still-expressionless Ryofu, the realization came. She had entered every fight with the mindset that this would bring her closer to Hatsumi. This was an obstacle that had to be overcome so that she could be reunited with the one she loved. To fail was to lose Hatsumi, and that was simply not an option.

Now, Lilith and Ken-chan were gone, leaving her no choice but to complete the journey on her own, and she could not let Ryofu or anyone else stand in her way.

And so, trying to clear her head of everything except Hatsumi's smile, she fought back as hard as she could. The increasingly shocked spectators were soon lost to her, and the whole world became this fight with perhaps the single mightiest general in Chinese history. Now she was not just defending, but attacking as well, trying to gain back some of the ground she'd lost.

Through it all, however, Ryofu's expression never changed, and somehow Hazuki found this infuriating. Didn't she have any idea? Couldn't she see that she was standing between Hazuki and her love? How could she make this look so effortless, when Hazuki was beginning to feel desperation eating away at her resolve?

Then, Hazuki took a particularly wild swing that Ryofu was not quite able to block. Hazuki's blade did not hit Ryofu herself, but glanced off the blunt end of the general's naginata. In the process, it cut through a small loop of cord that held a tiny figurine in place (almost like a cell phone charm), and sent it flying across the courtyard.

This, finally, made Ryofu's expression change.

To the tiniest of scowls.

Ryofu's next swing was proof enough that she had been holding back all along. Hazuki found her naginata ripped from her stinging hands, and she herself was again sent flying back, this time to land flat on her back, skidding several meters before finally coming to rest. For a moment she literally saw stars, and had the wind knocked out of her so thoroughly that for a terrifying few seconds she was not sure if she would ever be able to breathe again.

But then her breath returned, her vision cleared, and she found Chou'un, Kayuu and Ryofu standing over her, the former two looking rather anxious. Even Ryofu was giving her a tiny frown. "Ouch," she said vaguely. "Please tell me my naginata didn't hit anyone on the way down?"

Chou'un quickly covered her concerned expression with a laugh once she saw that Hazuki was okay. "Don't feel too badly, Azuma-dono. You lasted longer than I did in _my_ first fight with her."

"I'm sorry," Ryofu said in her quiet voice, bending down and offering a hand to help Hazuki stand.

"It's okay," Hazuki sighed. "I'm told grace in defeat is a virtue." She then reached up to clasp hands with her recent opponent.

The moment they touched, though, Hazuki felt her world turn upside-down, and her _Souma_, which was already glowing hotly inside her from her recent exertion, suddenly felt like it had grown electrically charged, and she felt two distinct waves of it crash through her...

...before reflecting back through their joined hands and into Ryofu.

Hazuki stared numbly into eyes that were suddenly wide with shock.

"O... onee-sama..?" Ryofu whispered, her voice tinier than ever, an unknown emotion welling in those once vacant eyes.

Ryofu had _Souma_.

Several horrible realizations struck Hazuki at that moment, harder than any blow she had withstood in the fight. Ryofu was not an obstacle in Hazuki's quest: she was the end of it. Hatsumi was no longer in this world, just as she had not been in the dozens more Hazuki had wandered. There would be no reunion. Lilith had been right all along: Hazuki could not do it alone, and now her arrogance with Lilith had cost her dearly.

With that thought, her determination and focus, her inner will that had never flagged and never weakened until coming to this place, fled her entirely, and she felt the weight of every book-world, the ache of every step, and the crushing despair of her quest's ultimate futility. She would never see Hatsumi again, and it was more than her shattered heart could bear.

And so, Hazuki rose shakily to her feet and, for the first time since her journey had begun, she turned and ran away, oblivious to the voices calling her name. Half-blinded by tears and numbed by emotion and fatigue, but lacking anywhere to go, she staggered through the mansion halls until she reached the room she had been allotted, where she fell into the bed, buried her face in the pillows, and wept bitterly until sheer exhaustion overcame her at last.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next: Ryofu, Chou'un and Hazuki Stand Against Many<strong>_


	3. Ryofu,Chouun & Hazuki Stand Against Many

**Part 3:** Ryofu, Chou'un and Hazuki Stand Against Many

.

Hazuki could not be sure when she had fallen asleep, or for how long, but when she began to awaken, she found herself reluctant to open her eyes and return to the pain that she knew was awaiting her.

As awareness returned, however, she found with some surprise that her mind felt relatively clear, and there was a vaguely pleasant sensation echoing through her. She had the feeling she was not alone, and her other senses slowly confirmed this: she was lying on her side, and there were arms around her and a warm softness that could only be another woman's breasts pressing into her back. A steady breath tickled the back of her neck, and locks of hair other than her own brushed against her ear.

Hazuki opened her eyes slowly, to see that the arms holding her were clad in black and white sleeves, with one partially bandaged hand securely gripping her waist while the other was resting feather-light over her neck, with two callused fingertips against her pulse point. There was an odd buzzing feeling at this point of contact, as though her _Souma_ were being pulled to that spot and then vibrating just beneath her skin. Ryofu's arms were unmistakably strong around her, but gentle nonetheless, and she smelled not unpleasantly of dogs. While part of Hazuki wanted to tense up at the idea of a woman she'd just met practically spooning with her, there was nothing threatening about it. Much as she had with Chikaru several worlds ago, Hazuki actually felt safe and taken care of in this warm place.

As tempting as it was to feign sleep, however, Ryofu was already moving, having perhaps noticed the change in Hazuki's _Souma_. Reluctantly, Hazuki pushed herself up to a seated position, and turned to face the warrior who had only recently been busily beating the living hell out of her in a spar. Ryofu tucked her legs beneath her, placed her hands in her lap, and faced Hazuki silently, her face once again devoid of expression.

There was a soft whine, and when Hazuki glanced down at the foot of the bed she saw Ryofu's puppy there, trying to curl itself back into a comfortable position. Like all the others she had seen so far, it was a mutt, with brown and white fur and a red scarf tied around its neck. Once settled, it gave a doggy sigh and dozed again.

"I was wrong," Ryofu said at last.

"How do you mean?" Hazuki asked, her voice still rough from her earlier tears.

"I thought you were like her," Ryofu elaborated. "But you're like me."

"Yes," Hazuki smiled thinly. "You had a sister once, didn't you?"

Ryofu nodded.

"A sister with golden hair, who never spoke?"

Another nod.

"Yes, you see..." Hazuki paused, wondering how best to put this, but she found that she was too tired to mince words. "She was my sister too."

"That isn't possible," Ryofu said in reply.

"I know," Hazuki agreed. She then reached across the space between them and laid her hand over one of Ryofu's, feeling her energy again rush to this spot to hum within her fingers like an electrical current. "But it's as true as this is."

Ryofu turned her hand to clasp Hazuki's, then looked down at their interlaced fingers. She said nothing, however, so Hazuki went on, deciding to simply lay it out. "Our sister was not from this world, Ryofu-dono. Some have called her an angel, some have called her a goddess... but she's lived many lives, in many worlds, including yours... and mine. She was my sister Hatsumi, and I've been trying to find her ever since she left my life."

"I... don't understand," Ryofu whispered. "But... I know you're telling the truth."

"From what I've been told, she leaves every world when she turns sixteen, and if anyone is in her presence as she disappears, they wind up having some of her energy stay with them. I've met others like us as I've searched for her."

If anything, an even more faraway look came to Ryofu's eyes, and her forehead creased in the tiniest frown.

"Was that how it was for you?" Hazuki asked, trying to fill the silence. "You were with her as she turned sixteen, and she transformed into a bright light and then vanished?"

"She never turned sixteen," Ryofu said in a low voice.

Hazuki felt her heart in her throat. "What do you mean?"

Ryofu looked up into Hazuki's eyes. "I was with her when she was killed," the pink-haired warrior said flatly. "A group of men raped and murdered her before my eyes."

A wave of numbing chill swept through Hazuki at the thought of her gentle Hatsumi meeting such a fate as this. As terrifying as it was to have to imagine it, though, Ryofu had lived through it. Suddenly the trauma of losing Hatsumi on that horrible midnight seemed almost insignificant compared to what her newest sister had witnessed.

But there was something even more unsettling to the story than that. "Then... when she died... the light..?" Hazuki managed.

"Yes," Ryofu nodded, releasing Hazuki's hand so that she could unwrap part of the bandage around her left wrist. Beneath it were several crisscrossing scars, obviously from past lacerations. "They had tied me up, but she gave me her strength, and I broke free."

Hazuki shifted uncomfortably, thinking of the scars hidden by her own bandages. "But then... what about the men? Did any of them..?" She could not finish the thought. The very idea of an unknown number of rapists and murderers holding a piece of Hatsumi's power was enough to make her feel sick inside.

"None of them left the room," Ryofu said as she replaced the wrappings on her wrist. "After I freed myself, I killed them all."

"I'm... I'm so sorry, Ryofu-dono," Hazuki whispered. "How long ago was this?"

Ryofu looked distantly thoughtful. "I don't know. I was alone for a long time afterward, so... I don't know how old I am now. I was... this many when it happened, though." She held up one hand and spread her fingers.

Five. Hazuki shivered again at the thought.

"When someone from the town came to check on us," Ryofu continued, "they found me alone with the bodies of my mother and father, along with the pieces of the bandits. They drove me out after that. I've since been told that it's unusual for a little girl to have the strength to tear apart several grown men with her bare hands, so they probably thought I was a monster of some kind."

"What happened to you after that?" Hazuki asked, uncertain of how exactly to take that last bit of almost dispassionate explanation.

"I went into the mountains with my dog. She took care of me. We found more dogs as we got older, and took care of them too. They were strays... unwanted by their people... just like I was."

"Are all the dogs in the mansion yours, then?"

Ryofu gave a slow nod. "When Yue gave me a home here, she insisted that the dogs be allowed as well. Kaku was upset at first, but she's upset most of the time."

"I never would have guessed," Hazuki snorted.

There was no immediate reply, as Ryofu spent a long while staring down at their hands, which were once again clasped as though of their own accord. "Is she alive?" the young general asked at last.

"I think so," Hazuki nodded. "But she won't be in this world any longer. I followed her here, but... I won't be able to continue following her now."

"Why not?"

Hazuki grimaced, remembering the smug look on Lilith's face just before she'd vanished. "I had a companion who could travel between worlds, but... she left me here. I've no way out now."

Ryofu's face creased with thought, then something lit up in her eyes. "Oh. You had a friend who was a sorcerer?"

"A sorcerer?" Hazuki repeated.

"Someone who uses magic. I met a sorcerer once in the mountains. She's the one who gave me these." Ryofu indicated one of the vine-like tattoos that snaked over her shoulder.

"Magic?" Hazuki said, bewildered at the very idea. "You have people who practice magic in this world?"

Another slow nod. "They're very rare. And secretive. And usually not very nice."

Hazuki puzzled over this for a while longer, then did the mental equivalent of a shrug. After all, if this world had brightly costumed, Japanese-speaking female analogues for the generals of Chinese history, why not have a little magic to go with it? "Do you know where I might _find_ a sorcerer?" she asked.

Ryofu shook her head. "We'll ask Kaku," she said. "She's grumpy, but she knows things, and she knows people who know things."

"Thank you, Ryofu-dono," Hazuki sighed, squeezing the other woman's hand. She forced the best smile she could, but at the same time, she found that she could not bring herself to hope for much.

"Stay and let me take care of you," Ryofu said abruptly.

"Ryofu-dono?" Hazuki blinked, confused by the request.

Blushing slightly, Ryofu again looked at their joined hands. "Losing her has made you sad. I want to help you, but... I want you to be happy _here_, too. Let me take care of you while you're here, and I'll try to help you to be happy."

In any number of worlds, now, Hazuki had met women who had all but thrown themselves at her, not the least of which being Lilith, of course. With her drive to find Hatsumi, this had been more a source of exasperation than anything else, and she sincerely hoped that Ryofu was not planning to continue this trend. As much as her heart ached for her new sister, that was something she could not allow. "What did you have in mind?" she asked carefully.

Ryofu looked uncertain for a moment. "Have dinner with me," she said at last. "When I'm hungry, and I eat, I feel happy. And... I'm not used to being happy in company, but I like it, and I think you will too. So... have dinner with me."

This was said with such childlike shyness and innocence that for a long while Hazuki could only stare at the other woman. Here was someone who had been abandoned by human beings at the age of five after witnessing the death of her entire family, and yet she was the one trying to comfort Hazuki in spite of being completely out of her emotional depth. This was not Ryofu asking for a date, or any of the many other things for which "making you happy" might be euphemistic, and Hazuki found herself strangely flattered at the attempt.

And so she answered in the only way she could. "I... I'd like that, Ryofu-dono."

With a tiny smile and a nod, Ryofu released Hazuki's hand with seeming reluctance, then got up from the bed and called "Sekito, come," to the dozing puppy. It immediately rose to its feet and began wagging its tail, then followed Ryofu to the door, with Hazuki a couple of steps behind.

Upon opening the door, however, they immediately met up with Chou'un, who seemed to be trying a little too hard to look as though she'd just wandered up at that moment. "Ah, Azuma-dono, you're awake. I do hope you're feeling better?"

"Somewhat, Chou'un-dono," Hazuki nodded. "I apologize if I made anyone worry."

Chou'un waved it off. "Think nothing of it. Sparring with Ryofu-dono is enough to reduce the hardest general to tears with the realization of how they compare to her. Isn't that so, Ryofu-dono?"

"We're having dinner together," Ryofu said in reply. "Come with us."

"Er... certainly," Chou'un blinked at the non-sequitur. "In fact, if memory serves..."

* * *

><p>The three warriors, led by Chou'un, went out into the city proper, and passed several inns and food stalls before reaching the one she sought. "There, this is the place. Azuma-dono, I must ask you to trust me: I think I know exactly what you need right now."<p>

As they entered the crowded main floor of the inn, a man in an apron looked over, noticed Ryofu right away, then waved to her, nodded, and went back toward the kitchens. Chou'un broke off from the other two and intercepted him, whispered a few words and gave him some coins, then joined Hazuki and Ryofu at one of the few open tables.

Mere moments later, the apron-clad man brought out a large serving plate heaped with meat buns, and set it before Ryofu. She gave a tiny nod of thanks, then broke one in half and set it down on the floor for Sekito. Once the puppy was happily munching at his treat, Ryofu turned to stare at her small mountain of food, but was obviously holding back until the other two were served.

"Ah, before I forget!" Chou'un exclaimed, reaching into the unknown depths of her kimono. "I seem to be making a habit of returning this to you, Ryofu-dono." She passed their companion a small figurine of a dog, looking very much like Sekito in miniature. Hazuki realized that this was the charm she had inadvertently severed from the end of Ryofu's naginata during their spar.

"Thank you," Ryofu said softly, giving Chou'un another tiny but genuine smile.

"Azuma-dono," Chou'un said then, "I couldn't help noticing that Ryofu-dono referred to you as onee-chan earlier. Is she..?"

"We're not sisters," Hazuki said, shaking her head. "At least... not in the normal way. But... we have a common story."

Chou'un nodded, then gave a small grimace. "I must confess, I heard part of that story earlier. If you're seeking a sorcerer to find your sister... does that mean you now believe her to be dead?"

"I believe that she's left this world," Hazuki sighed. "Take that to mean what you will, but I have no doubt that she's alive."

This seemed to momentarily rob Chou'un of an answer, but then she looked up to see the innkeeper approaching with two large bowls balanced on a tray. "Ah, there we are. Azuma-dono, while there is nothing I can say to ease such a loss as yours, I do hope this, at least, will bring you some tiny measure of happiness in the moment."

The bowls were placed before them, and Hazuki looked down to see a generous serving of delicious-smelling noodles mixed with pork, topped by a heap of bamboo shoots.

With the air of someone imparting the wisdom of the ages, or presenting a rare and precious jewel, Chou'un continued. "This, my friend, is one of the world's perfect foods, and has never failed to bring me comfort in times of need. This, Azuma-dono, is nothing short of the finest menma in all the province."

* * *

><p>Over the next several days, Hazuki was indeed afforded all the hospitality and honors befitting a visiting general: her performance against Kayuu-shogun and Ryofu had apparently quite impressed the local lord and her chief retainer, to the point that nothing more was said of her subsequent meltdown. Those first few days quickly fell into a routine of dining, sparring, exploring the town, sparring, listening for rumors about unusual activity of the sorcerous variety, sparring, relating highly edited tales of her travels, and oh yes, sparring.<p>

Kaku, in spite of being initially suspicious of Hazuki's desire to meet a practitioner of magic, was nonetheless amenable to the idea of helping their guest, so she sent messengers to several outlying villages seeking any information they could find on local sightings or tales. She also, in keeping with the original suggestion, brought in a court artist to take Hazuki's description of Hatsumi and make copies for the messengers. Hazuki complied in spite of her own certainty that it would not do any good: she knew now how Hatsumi had left this world, and Hazuki had yet to encounter one in which her sister had lived more than one life.

Even as she tried to fill her days with activity, however, her nights were something else again, as she was finding it very difficult to sleep. However, rather than simply feeling like she did not need it, as had been the case for much of her journey, now it was an ongoing string of nightmares that kept her from resting.

And so, on the sixth night of awakening to sheets soaked with sweat and her heart pounding against her ribs, Hazuki dressed herself, retrieved her naginata from its stand, and headed out into the sleeping city, desperate for anything to clear her head.

The city was largely deserted at this hour, of course, with not even a tavern open for business, and the only people to be seen were guardsmen. Each of them nodded to Hazuki as she passed (she was more or less known by sight thanks to her training with the local generals), and eventually she made her way to the city walls. Perhaps, she reasoned, she could turn her insomnia into a chance to do some small duty to fulfill her status as honored guest.

The walls were thick and sturdy, with a broad pathway behind the battlements, wide enough for three or four to walk shoulder to shoulder. Torches blazed at regular intervals, with guards stationed at every fourth pool of flickering light. Even though she had not been in the city for long, though, Hazuki found herself puzzled at this: weren't the walls normally better guarded than this?

Her naginata over her shoulder, Hazuki began a slow patrol along the high wall, silently greeting the guards as she passed. One or two tried to strike up a conversation with her, but she begged off: it seemed a shame to ruin the tranquility of the night. Apart from her footsteps and the crackle of flame, the only sounds were of the insects and other night animals in the nearby forest.

She had nearly completed her circuit when she saw a familiar silhouette against the starry sky. Ryofu was standing between two of the crenelations near the front gate, staring fixedly into the night. Apparently Hazuki wasn't the only one finding sleep evasive this evening.

Ryofu had been one of her only sources of comfort over the past few days. Even with her responsibilities as general, she always found time to be with Hazuki, whether in the form of a spar, a shared meal, or just a comfortable silence, like the one they were sharing now.

Hazuki stood silently behind her new friend for probably several minutes before Ryofu finally spoke. "It's quiet."

"It certainly is," Hazuki agreed. "Peaceful."

"I hope so," Ryofu nodded.

"Ryofu-dono, am I remembering incorrectly, or are there a lot fewer guards than usual?"

"You're remembering correctly. A runner arrived today. One of our villages is being threatened by a large group of raiders, so Kayuu took most of our troops to repel them."

"Taking an army against bandits?" Hazuki wondered aloud, thinking back on the three highwaymen who'd tried to impede her shortly after her arrival in this world. "Wouldn't a smaller, quicker group have been better?"

Ryofu shook her head. "There's something different about the bandits now. Someone's organizing them. Training them. They're more soldiers than thieves. The town is also near a major crossroads that we can't afford to lose."

"I see," said Hazuki, though she was surprised that all of this had happened without her knowledge. Either they had tried to draw as little attention to the march as possible, or Hazuki had just been too depressed to notice. Probably both, come to think of it. "Is that why you're up late keeping watch?"

Another tiny nod of acknowledgment. "There is a chance that the attack on the village is a distraction. There are many who would try to take Yue's power. I won't let that happen."

After a long pause, Ryofu turned to Hazuki and smiled. "Also, you're here now."

Hazuki arched her eyebrows, surprised by the show of emotion. "What do you mean?"

"You were family to her," Ryofu explained, as if it were the most simple thing in the world. Which to her, perhaps, it was. "That makes you family to me, as well. Even though I know you won't be staying, I'll be thankful for every day that you spend here. And as long as you're here, I'll protect you. I defend the ones I love." She turned back to stare out over the fields, but her eyes looked unfocused and misty. "For the ones you truly love, you can do things you'd never know that you could. Even to the extent of losing your own life."

"Ryofu-dono," Hazuki whispered, feeling unexpectedly touched by these words. How long had her own journey been like that? How many times had she faced death, and done the impossible in the name of her beloved?

More than this, though... where had she lost that feeling? Where had her resolve gone? Where was the will that had sustained her week after week, and month after month?

Hazuki was about to wonder this out loud, but the words died on her lips as she saw a sudden change in Ryofu's stance. The pink-haired general looked rather like a dog having suddenly picked up a scent, and her earlier smile had faded to a tiny, dangerous scowl. "What is it?" Hazuki asked her.

"Listen," Ryofu hissed, her voice quiet even by her own standards.

For a long while, Hazuki heard nothing out of the ordinary, but then came the noise of squawks and flapping wings, and she saw a small cloud of birds rise from the distant canopy of the forest. "Something's coming?" she whispered.

Ryofu stepped down from the edge of the wall. "Guards," she called softly.

Immediately, the two nearest wall guards rushed to her side. "Yes, Ryofu-shogun?"

"We're under attack," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "About two hundred raiders are coming from the forest, with fifty of them on horses." She pointed to one of the men. "Give the alarm at the mansion-house. Make sure Kaku-dono knows, and have her wake Toutaku-sama and get her to safety." Her gaze and pointer finger then went to the other. "Gather up our remaining forces. Send a few archers to this position, and keep a patrol on the side walls, but everyone else should mass at the rear gate. Go."

Both men hurried off, but before Hazuki could get in another word, Ryofu brought two fingers to her mouth and whistled. Sekito appeared as though conjured by the sound, and she bent to scratch his ears. "Sekito, alarm. Go." The puppy barked once, and then raced off, sending up a high-pitched howl as he ran. Soon another dog added its voice, followed by another, until the streets were filled with the eerie baying. Beneath them, the city began to stir to life, as the townsfolk responded to the alarm and prepared to defend their homes if need be. Even with this noise, however, the unmistakable rumble of a large approaching force was becoming all too audible, and figures with torches were beginning to emerge from the line of trees.

"Why send all the guards to the back gate?" Hazuki asked, only then realizing that Ryofu, who days before had struggled with the number five, had shown no difficulty in giving her estimate of the enemy troops.

"They used deception once in drawing out our army," said Ryofu. "They might use it again."

"True, but... then who'll deal with the two hundred coming for the front gate?"

Ryofu looked blankly at Hazuki. "I will," she said, seeming almost surprised at the question.

Hazuki wanted to protest. Even as ridiculously strong as she was, how could Ryofu stand against such odds? But the general had already answered that question: in the name of the ones she loved, she would do whatever she had to, even if it meant her death.

"Then we'll do it together," she heard herself say, reaching out with her free hand and placing it on Ryofu's bare shoulder. Once again her _Souma_ hummed beneath her skin, and she tried to take comfort in this echo of her sister's essence. Ryofu placed her own hand over Hazuki's, then nodded wordlessly.

Suddenly, a third voice cut through the night. "Friendship is a beautiful thing!"

"Who's there?" Hazuki said, whirling around to look for the source.

Standing atop one of the nearby battlements, her figure eclipsing the waning moon, was a familiar masked woman. "At times, she is a visiting general on a lonely quest. At other times, she is the bringer of comfort food for the soul. But her true identity is..!" With a flourish, she turned toward them and spread the long sleeves of her kimono against the night sky. "A lone butterfly dancing across the ravaged country! The Defender of Justice and Beauty - _Kachou Kamen_!"

Then, with a single somersaulting leap, she landed beside the other women. "Fear not, warriors, for as you prepare to face your foes, I bring you each a gift!" She reached into her kimono and pulled out a pair of masks much like her own, but colored blue and pink where hers was yellow. "Wear these into battle," she said, brandishing the blue mask before handing it to Hazuki, "and you will have the strength of a thousand! None shall be able to stand against your fury as you defend what is yours!" She passed the pink mask to Ryofu, then smiled heroically at both of them.

"You'll fight beside us, Chou'un?" Ryofu asked.

The masked woman blinked, then cleared her throat. "Perhaps you missed my introduction. _At times, she is_..."

"Chou'un-dono," Hazuki interrupted her before she could get going again. "We know it's you."

For a moment, it was as though the sounds of the onrushing horde, the gathering troops and the howling dogs suddenly ceased, and Hazuki could swear she heard crickets. Chou'un visibly deflated and removed her mask. "Would it _kill_ the two of you to play along?" she asked in a long-suffering voice.

"Sorry," said Hazuki, though she found herself grateful for the tension-breaker.

Very deliberately ignoring the apology, Chou'un stepped up beside Ryofu and looked out with her at the advancing throng. "Two hundred ground troops against the three of us and half a dozen archers, eh, Ryofu-dono?"

"Ren," said Ryofu, without looking back at them.

"Ryofu-dono?" Hazuki asked, not certain what she was saying.

After taking a deep breath, Ryofu turned and looked first into Chou'un's eyes, then Hazuki's. "My _mana_. My true name is Ren. Please call me that from now on."

"Understood... Ren," Chou'un smiled and nodded. "That being the case, before we face the impossible..." She straightened up and cleared her throat. "I am called Chou'un. My style name is Shiryuu. My _mana_ is Sei. I give my name to both of you."

Ryofu nodded in reply, with just a hint of a smile of her own, and then both women turned to Hazuki, looking at her somewhat expectantly.

"I... I'm sorry, I don't..." she stammered, realizing that she had just been greatly honored and yet not knowing how to return the courtesy. "You see... where I come from we do not have true names like yours, but..." She paused for a moment, then did her best to mirror the tone used by Chou'un. "My family name is Azuma. My given name is Hazuki. I would be honored if you would call me Hazuki from now on."

Chou'un looked pleased by this, and nodded to her. "As you wish, Hazuki." She then turned back to look at the advancing army. Immediately behind the front ranks, a group of particularly burly men were holding a shaved-down tree between them, obviously intending to use it as a battering ram on the front gates. Chou'un looked at the others, then held up her mask. "Shall we, then?"

Ryofu nodded, placing her own mask over her face. Hazuki puzzled over hers for a moment, as it had no strap or string to fasten it around the back of her head, but then she placed it to her forehead, and somehow, it stayed in place. She shook her head a couple of times, but it clung to her, as though held up by the force of _style_.

And damned if she didn't feel a little more confident wearing it. For just a moment, Hazuki could not help but smile. She was going to war alongside Zhao Yun and Lu Bu.

"To battle!" Chou'un cried, once more using the bombastic voice of her alter-ego, and with another somersaulting leap, she vaulted from the battlements to land on the earthen road below. Ryofu was a mere second behind, and Hazuki followed soon after, so that the two of them stood ready at opposite sides of the self-proclaimed Guardian of Justice and Beauty.

"Bandits!" Chou'un barked at the oncoming mob. "Tonight you meet your doom! I am _Hoshi Kachou!_ I stand with... _Koi Kachou_ and... and _Tsuki Kachou_," she said this indicating Ryofu and Hazuki, respectively, "and none of you shall pass this gate alive!"

The oncoming horde had the decency to look surprised for a moment as these three brightly-attired young women stood defiantly before them, but then they gave a hearty war cry and accelerated toward the gate. Chou'un answered with a lusty yell of her own and charged to meet them, while Ryofu silently leaped into the thick of things, her naginata whirling in a deadly arc that gutted three of the men before they could even think to bring their swords down upon her. Hazuki stood her ground a few paces to Chou'un's right and planted her own weapon to meet the oncoming charge, ran one of the invaders through by the force of his own momentum, then heaved his corpse to one side, pulling her twin blades free as she spun to deliver another merciless blow to an onrushing bandit.

This was not the first time on her journey that Hazuki had found herself dealing death, though usually her opponents were not human beings. Still, she had been in a fair share of wars, and had delivered killing blows with anything from a sword stroke to an explosive shell fired from a tank. She had fought these battles with grim focus, always keeping her goal in sight and, as she had found herself saying a lot lately, doing what she needed to do to get by. She certainly took no pleasure in it, but for the most part she faced it with a stoic fearlessness befitting the samurai of legend.

This time, however, was nothing short of surreal: a mix between heroic cinema and the video games of her past. She was _Tsuki Kachou_, defending the helpless townspeople from those who would do them harm. The enemy was a faceless, nameless mob, who would no doubt do the same to her, if not worse, and it was her duty - not merely as a visiting general, but as a _hero_ - to stem the tide, whatever the cost. She could not let Ryofu and Chou'un face them alone, particularly now that they had honored her by sharing their true names.

Arrows whistled by overhead as the archers atop the wall launched volley after volley into the back ranks before ducking behind the battlements to dodge the return arrows from the enemy bowmen. From ahead, but obscured by the press of attackers, Hazuki could hear Chou'un taunting their foes, punctuating her insults with sharp battle cries as she hacked and stabbed her way through the ranks. Ryofu fought silently, unless one were to count the screams of her opponents as they quickly fell. Hazuki, realizing that they were trying to surround and overwhelm her, made herself a whirlwind, allowing no one within reach of her two blades without feeling their bite.

There suddenly came a loud _thump_ as the battering ram hit the gates. The three defenders had allowed themselves to be separated by the enemy, and the ram-carriers had rushed through one of the gaps between them, accompanied by shield-bearers who protected them from the archers above. A second heavy sound of wood meeting wood followed, then a third. Hazuki made a lethal sweep to clear the path behind her, then bull-rushed her way back toward the wall. Before she could even get halfway, though, a blur of black, white and pink swept through, taking out shield-men, ram-carriers and ram alike, with one particularly devastating arc from her weapon slicing the felled tree clean in half. And then she was gone again, making a beeline right back into the thick of things.

Hazuki had no time to admire Ryofu's work, however, because the enemy was still pressing forward, obviously trying to use their superior numbers to overcome the three masked warriors. There seemed to be no end to them.

Suddenly, Hazuki's blood ran cold as she heard a shout from above: "_Invaders on the wall!"_ She looked down along the barrier and saw the silhouettes of three men scaling a grappling line, with another group nearby tossing up a weighted rope of their own. Hazuki took three long strides and leaped with all her strength, alighting atop the parapet like the butterfly she was.

Four bandits had already made it up the wall: three of these were trading blows with the archers (who had wisely dropped their bows and drawn their swords), while the fourth had grabbed a young peasant girl who had apparently been bringing more arrows to the troops. Hazuki made quick work of two of the first three, then beheaded the would-be kidnapper while the bowmen took care of the last. Without stopping to check on them, Hazuki dashed along the top of the wall to cut down the climbing ropes. She managed to get the first, but before she could reach the second, a large man crested the wall's edge and charged her, swinging a heavy cudgel. Hazuki ducked under the blow, rolled forward, and hacked the rope before any of his fellows could join him.

She sprang to her feet and whirled around, but there was a blinding, crushing pain as the brigand's cudgel slammed into the side of her head. Her mask went flying, and she staggered back, collapsing between two of the crenelations and nearly pitching right off the wall. The world continued spinning even as she crashed to a halt, and for a terrifying moment, she realized that she had lost sight of her attacker, as she could see nothing but streaks of light and color.

Acting on a mix of instinct and desperation, Hazuki managed to bring up her naginata and block another blow that was coming straight for her head. She then brought her leg up and planted her foot between the man's legs. The combination of his own forward momentum and the kick threw him off balance, and he cried out in alarm as he tumbled right over the top of her and fell from the wall's edge. His flailing hand caught the shoulder of Hazuki's uniform, however, and with a sickening lurch of vertigo, she felt herself dragged right along with him.

Unable to see sufficiently to even attempt to land on her feet, Hazuki instead came down flat on her back, and with this impact the air left her lungs so forcibly that she once again felt a very real fear that she would not be able to breathe again.

And in that moment of fear, her already fragile sense of focus was shattered. This was not a game, or a movie. Those were _people_ who had been dying at the business end of her naginata, and with her eyes still swimming, she found herself all too aware of the screams of the wounded and the stench of blood. She was no longer a samurai, and with the mask gone, she was not even an anonymous hero: she was a teenage girl who didn't want to die on this gore-soaked battlefield somewhere in ancient China.

A shadow lurched above her, and she realized her attacker was still alive. She tried to bring up her weapon to defend herself again, but the man grabbed her naginata with both hands and began pressing down, putting all his considerable mass into it. Soon the shaft was pressing against Hazuki's throat. She managed a gasping breath before the pressure became too much, but it was beginning to look like the next might never come.

She suddenly remembered Ryofu's words, then: _For the ones you truly love, you can do things you'd never know that you could. Even to the extent of losing your own life._ It wasn't fair, though, to die like this. She wasn't even on the path to find Hatsumi any longer: she wouldn't even be able to die with the knowledge that she had done so seeking out the one she loved.

Hatsumi would never even know that she had died.

With this thought came a terror so profound that even though she could not find the strength to push this man off of her, she still found enough breath to scream. "_Lilith, I'm sorry! You were right! Please don't let me die like this!"_

The brigand gave a hoarse laugh, and pushed harder on the naginata's shaft to choke out any further words. But then the laugh turned into a liquidy gasp, and he collapsed on top of her, literally a dead weight. A weight which was soon lifted from her, and even with her eyes still swimming, she could see him being hurled away like a broken rag doll. Then there were strong arms carrying her, accompanied by an almost overwhelming smell of sweat, blood and dogs. Almost before she could catch her breath, Hazuki found herself airborne, as Ryofu carried her up and over the battlements in a single leap.

"You're hurt," Ryofu whispered as she lay Hazuki down behind the cover of the archers.

"Ryo... Ren, I can't see," Hazuki quavered.

"There's blood in your eyes," Ryofu informed her. "Yue, you shouldn't be here."

"I'll take care of her," came the wholly unexpected voice of Toutaku, as a gentle hand held a cloth compress to Hazuki's left temple. "Go and help Chou'un-dono."

Ryofu made a small noise in the affirmative, then leaned in and gently brushed her cheek against the uninjured side of Hazuki's face. "I'll be back, Hazuki," she whispered.

"Please be safe," Hazuki whispered, but there was no reply save for running footsteps and a small grunt as Ryofu leaped back down into the fray.

With surprising strength considering her size, Toutaku carefully dragged Hazuki to better cover behind the raised stone of the outer wall's crenelations, then started wiping her face with a damp cloth while holding the fallen warrior's head in her lap. As some of the blood was cleared away, Hazuki was finally able to focus (with her right eye, anyway) on the pale, concerned face of the provincial lord. She was dressed in simple peasant clothing, and Hazuki realized that she had been the one bringing arrows to her troops. Somewhere in the city, Kaku was probably having kittens.

"You fought amazingly, Azuma-dono," Toutaku assured her. "You have done my people great honor with your bravery."

Hazuki didn't feel brave at all: she felt hollow and broken as never before. Now that the adrenaline rush was wearing off, she realized how much she had been secretly hoping, in the back of her mind, that Lilith might still be watching. Surely she would have come to Hazuki's aid had she been following along, if for no other reason then to be able to lord that apology over her for the remainder of their time together.

But Lilith had not come to save her. She was well and truly abandoned in this insane world, and she had never felt so far from Hatsumi as she did at that moment: not even the horrible minutes immediately following her sister's disappearance had felt so empty as this.

And so, with her head cradled in the lap of the tyrant who had just praised her valor, Hazuki once again began to cry: great, heaving sobs of anguish and fear. Toutaku gently stroked her hair while at the same time keeping pressure on her wound. "It's all right, Azuma-dono. You're safe now."

"Lord Toutaku!" one of the archers cried out suddenly. "They're running!"

Sure enough, the battle cries beneath them were turning into calls for retreat, and above it all came Chou'un's mocking laughter. "_That's right! Run, you little rabbits! Run back to your holes! Death awaits any of you who return to this place! So declares Kachou Kamen!"_

* * *

><p><strong><em>Next: Chou'un Attempts to Seduce Hazuki<em>**

* * *

><p>AUTHOR'S NOTE: I am aware that in the last chapter I described Hazuki's naginata as having a single curved blade. I am also aware that in this chapter I keep referring to "twin" blades. See, the reason for that is thuswise: between then and now, the inestimable Ninemil drew a picture of Hazuki wielding both sword and a two-bladed naginata, and it was far too badass for me to not include that design in the story. An extremely truncated version of this picture is now the cover for this story (used with permission, thanks Nine!), but you really ought to go see the real thing on his Deviant Art page. He goes by www-ninemil-com on DA, and he has a ton of cool line art, anime-inspired and otherwise.<p> 


	4. Chou'un Attempts to Seduce Hazuki

**Part 4:** Chou'un Attempts to Seduce Hazuki

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The hours immediately following the battle at the city gates were very much a blur: between the late hour, the battle itself, and the emotional wrench that followed, Hazuki found herself to be little more than a shell. She was vaguely aware that Toutaku had held her until Ryofu's return from the battlefield, at which time Hazuki found herself being once again lifted and carried away from the night's horrors. Somewhere in the distance, she heard Chou'un speaking to the provincial lord and requesting a few horsemen to accompany her in scouting the area, but any reply was lost to distance and the low murmur of the awakened city.

Wordlessly, Ryofu carried her back to the palace grounds and into the bathhouse, where Hazuki found herself methodically undressed and led into the water. Here, Ryofu carefully bathed her and tended to her wound. On any other day Hazuki would certainly have resisted this, even from someone she trusted, but she found that she did not even have the energy for her customary shyness and shame. As ever, Ryofu seemed to have no ulterior motive, and was her normal stoic self as she scrubbed the sweat, blood and grime from both of them. Of her companion during this vulnerable moment, Hazuki would only remember two things: that she was beautiful, and that her tattoos were more extensive than they had originally appeared.

Without asking whether she had yet recovered enough to walk, Ryofu then lifted her from the bath, patted her dry, bandaged her wound, wrapped her in towels, and carried her back to her room. Here, she dressed them both in sleeping robes, then lay Hazuki down in the bed and quickly followed after her. Once again, as she had that first day, she wrapped herself protectively around her visitor, and even in her stupor Hazuki recognized and appreciated this tiny moment of safety amidst the ruins of her world.

She must have slept after that, because the next she knew Ryofu was gone, and she felt cold where the other girl had been holding her. Chou'un was keeping watch at her bedside, however, and upon noticing she was awake informed her that the city was safe. The last of the bandits had been routed, with no sign that they were regrouping for a new assault, and the defenders had sustained no losses. Hazuki, as it turned out, had been the only minor casualty. Also, Chou'un informed her with a merry smile, the three of them were to be honored with a banquet that night, and Lord Toutaku was very anxious to know whether or not her visiting general would be well enough to attend.

Hazuki's reply was non-committal at best, but this did not stop Kaku from showing up some time later with a pair of tailors in tow. They quickly took her measurements, and Kaku explained that she would be afforded proper attire for the banquet while her "native clothing" was being cleaned and mended.

Other than that, the day passed in a fog of numbness and sleep. During her few lucid moments, Hazuki was vaguely aware of Ryofu being there at one point to sit and hold her hand while she slept, or the tailors returning with a beautiful blue kimono, or Chou'un reading at her bedside, but these were snapshot images at best. At last, as evening drew near, Ryofu once again entered the room, shooed Chou'un out, and offered to help Hazuki dress for the banquet. Even as shattered as she felt, Hazuki knew that she could not dishonor her host by avoiding this show of hospitality, especially since it was partly in her honor. Once properly dressed, she was escorted from her room by her two fellow generals, each of them taking her by an arm. Not a word was spoken about the battle or her injury, but their constant contact was evidence enough of their concern for their comrade.

The banquet was a lively affair, and to Hazuki's surprise was held not in the palatial dining hall, but in the inner courtyard where she had originally sparred with Kayuu and Ryofu. The guests included not only nobles of the court, but soldiers and townspeople as well, all mingling, chatting, and celebrating the victory. It was at this point that Ryofu reluctantly dismissed herself from their company, as her presence was needed for Toutaku's protection. (Hazuki later learned that Kaku had only agreed to Toutaku's desire to hold the banquet in this informal style if Ryofu would stay by their lord's side: they _had_ just been attacked, after all.)

And so, Hazuki spent most of the evening nursing a small cup of sake and letting Chou'un do all the heavy lifting in terms of schmoozing with the locals. Fortunately, Chou'un seemed more than comfortable with this role, and Hazuki was able to get by with a series of smiles, small bows and murmured thanks. When the inevitable speech by Toutaku praised each of the three defenders with a raised glass, Hazuki was able to bring herself to look humble and grateful, when all she truly wanted was to flee this battlefield and hide from them all.

At length, this desire won out, and after assuring Chou'un that she would be okay getting back to her room on her own, Hazuki found Toutaku, bowed her thanks, and headed back upstairs alone.

Upon returning to her room, she found her _seifuku_ lying on the end of her bed, expertly folded and washed clean of any blood or dirt stains, with her red tie arranged into a small bundle on top. Her naginata was hanging on its wall bracket, having been cleaned and polished as well. Hazuki noted here that the polearm was now slightly bent where the shaft met the two-bladed head, and she wondered if this had happened during her fall from the battlements. Chou'un had assured her earlier that her weapon had been salvaged from the battlefield, though no amount of searching had turned up her mask (a detail which chagrined Chou'un greatly: she seemed quite bothered by the idea that anyone else might attempt to usurp the identity of _Tsuki Kachou_).

Listlessly, Hazuki slipped out of her kimono and hung it over the back of the room's lone chair. She then put on a clean sleeping robe and sat on the end of her bed. Long minutes passed in silence until at last Hazuki could dodge the question no longer.

So... now what?

Lilith had not come to Hazuki in her moment of desperation, and she had no one to blame but herself. Worse still, what did this mean for the future? Even if she could find a sorcerer who could somehow fling her back into the Great Library, what good would that do? Would Ken-chan or even Kogechibi be able to help her, or would they side with their mistress? Would a goddess scorned accept her apology without demanding more from her than she was willing to give?

Like it or not, it was becoming more and more apparent that she was stuck in this crazy world. Even if she were to make a home here with Ryofu, or continue traveling with Chou'un, she knew that she would never be what they were, _Souma_ or not. They had their causes, and were willing to fight, kill and even die for them. Hazuki had nothing left to fight for, though, and the thought of spending her remaining loveless years slaughtering bandits and enemy soldiers was more than she could fathom. Even the thought of defending her new friends felt like a hollow pursuit: what use did history's great generals have for her? Had she truly helped on the battlefield, or was she more a distraction in need of protecting?

Idly, she unfastened the loose bundle of her necktie, wondering what might be inside. Her long-dead phone caught her eye first, and she almost managed a tiny smile as she imagined the palace servants pulling this from her skirt pocket and wondering what it might be. Beside this were her keys, which like her naginata had been polished to a shine.

It was then that she felt her heart leap as she spotted the other two items, which lay partly camouflaged amidst the folds of red fabric. One was the bow-shaped hair clip given to her by Minamoto Chikaru several worlds ago, and the other was the comb that had somehow passed from Eve, to Fujihime of the Bamboo Forest, and now to Hazuki. Reminders of the two worlds that had tempted her more than any other to give up her search and try to be happy. She picked up the bow first, and now the smile felt more genuine as she remembered her too-brief visit to Astraea Hill.

_"I think there's no shame at all in falling in love with an angel," Chikaru whispered. "Any more than there is in falling in love with anyone. I only wish you could have seen it sooner."_

_"I should have told her," Hazuki managed. "I should have trusted her."_

_"Then I think I finally have an answer to my question."_

_When Hazuki's forehead creased with confusion, Chikaru smiled and continued. "Now I know why you need so badly to find her."_

Had it been so long ago that Hazuki had felt that renewal of purpose? Where was it now?

Then, her fingers closed over the comb, and this thought, along with all others, fled from her as she felt her _Souma_ racing inside her. There was something different to it now, though: it felt charged, somehow, just as it did when she held her sword.

It felt... _like Hatsumi_.

Hazuki's heart and breathing both sped as she took the comb in both hands and closed her eyes. How could she have forgotten? Fujihime had entrusted her with the comb for this very reason: because like Hazuki's sword, it held an echo of Eve's power. Suddenly everything made sense: in taking away the sword, Lilith had (knowingly or not) also stripped Hazuki of this constant reminder of her beloved. Even as she had walked this world with Chou'un and trained with Ryofu, she had been slowly starving herself of the very essence that had kept her focused on that much hoped-for reunion with the one she loved. The comb's energy was only a tiny spark, but to Hazuki, who had been without it for so long, it was a veritable torrent, and she found herself overwhelmed with memories of love and longing. And even though her situation was no better than before, in that rush of energy it simply did not matter.

All too soon, though, it faded, leaving Hazuki desperately wanting more. She had to find it again, somehow. She had to reconnect with the desire that had driven her to this point.

In that moment, in the fading glow of the comb's reminder, there was really only one way that she could think to do so. For a moment, she felt repulsed by the very idea, but then she shoved that aside. There would plenty of time for shame later: for now, all she knew was that she needed that feeling back again, in soul as well as in body.

After hastily dimming the lamps, she lay herself down in the bed, still clutching the comb in her right hand as her left fumbled with her sash. She then rolled to one side, closed her eyes, and slipped her free hand beneath the silken robe.

Think only of Hatsumi. Her smile. Her scent. Her flawless skin. The way the sun would catch her golden hair and made it glow like a halo around her. The way their bodies fit together when they embraced.

Hazuki's breathing became more and more ragged, and she felt sweat and tears on her face as months of past shame fought with the reality of her desire. Had Chikaru been right? Was there nothing wrong with having fallen in love with an angel?

She tried to turn those thoughts away as well, leaving only Hatsumi. That innocent wave when Hazuki had interrupted her bath. The way her uniform clung to her when she came in out of the rain. The nightgown she had been wearing during those agonizing moments before she had vanished, those lips Hazuki had wanted so badly to kiss...

"Well! Either I've wandered into the wrong room by mistake, or I'm exactly where I should be. I wonder which it is?"

The humored voice shocked Hazuki out of the increasingly heated moment, and she let out a yelp as she saw Chou'un standing beside the bed, hands on hips, smirking at her. Hazuki gathered the robe around herself and turned away, feeling herself flush as desire turned quickly into mortification.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Chou'un went on, the smile still evident in her voice.

"I... wanted to be alone," Hazuki choked out.

"So it appears. Well, if nothing else I should be relieved that you seem to be recovering nicely from your injury."

Hazuki curled further into a miserable little ball, wishing that the world would simply open beneath her and pull her under. For a few moments, Chou'un said nothing more, but then Hazuki heard a sound that greatly alarmed her: the shuffling of fabric. She looked back over her shoulder to see that Chou'un had removed her hat, then unfastened her collar, and was divesting herself of the long sleeves of her kimono, leaving her arms and shoulders bare. Hazuki was immediately struck by how delicate those arms appeared in spite of their proven strength. "What... what are you doing?" she quavered.

Chou'un shrugged her pale shoulders, then reached around to untie her broad violet sash. "You were using your fingers to climb the stairs to Heaven," she said reasonably. "I interrupted you. That makes it my duty to help you finish the journey." All too easily (considering the way it clung resolutely to her in battle), the remainder of her kimono fell away, leaving her dressed only in her stockings and a very anachronistic pair of frilly lavender panties with a little bow on the front of the waistband.

For a long moment, Hazuki could only stare as Chou'un placed a foot on the bed and began removing one of her white stockings. She was still scraped raw inside from her recent emotional roller-coaster and the accompanying memories of Hatsumi, and now here was someone else whose beauty and elegance were simply breathtaking. The building heat inside her flared up again, and she realized that her mouth was beginning to water. Her eyes tracked the movements of the first stocking, then the second, but she forced herself to look away before Chou'un could finish the last bit of undressing. She felt the bed dip under the weight of the additional occupant, and curled more tightly than ever around herself.

"Now," Chou'un whispered, scooting up behind Hazuki and reaching one arm across her waist. "Shall we pick things up from where you left off, or would you prefer more than just my fingers? I can adapt."

"Please..." Hazuki managed.

"Please what, dear Hazuki?" Chou'un said into her ear.

"Please... stop..."

Chou'un's hand, which had been seeking the gap in Hazuki's robe, did just that. "You needn't worry," she chuckled. "You're in good hands: I happen to know a thing or two about pleasuring a woman."

"Then... are you..?" Hazuki asked, but she could not finish the question.

"One of those strange women who loves other women?" Chou'un replied, sounding amused. "Yes, I am. And you, Hazuki, are perhaps the most oblivious person I've met in all my travels if you had not yet managed to piece that together. Does it bother you?"

"Not that part," Hazuki murmured, shaking her head a tiny amount. "But... I've never... _been_ with another person like this."

"Ah, I see. Well, if it is your purity that concerns you, I can assure you that what I had in mind will no more drive away a potential husband than the very act in which you were engaged."

"I don't want a husband," Hazuki said before she could think better of it.

"Oh?" Chou'un said, her voice now holding a note of surprise. "Are these the words of a maiden rebelling against her family, or... was I right about you?" The voice drew ever closer, and through the thin silk of her robe, Hazuki felt the warmth of Chou'un's bare breasts pressing into her back. "Is it the touch of a woman you seek, after all?"

Hazuki whimpered as she fought to contain her emotions. Her body was still aching from the incompletion of her act, and Chou'un was all too warm and soft against her. She managed a nod, but little else.

"I see," Chou'un whispered, as her fingers found the gap which they had earlier sought, and began tracing idly over the smooth muscles of Hazuki's abdomen. "And whose touch was it you were seeking when I so rudely interrupted you? I dare not presume that it was mine. Was it... Ren, perhaps?"

"Ha... Hatsumi..."

At this, Chou'un's fingers stopped their motions, and she lay her palm flat against the other girl's skin. "Hatsumi? The sister you've been seeking in your travels?"

"She's not my sister by blood," Hazuki said automatically.

"And yet it hurts you, doesn't it? To feel something so raw and intense for someone doubly forbidden to you, both as another woman and as a relation?"

Hazuki gave a quick nod, as she could not deny this. No matter how many times she had tried to justify it to herself, the shame had always been there.

"Hmmm, poor Hazuki," Chou'un sighed. "Would it make you feel any better to know that you're not the only one to have ever felt the pull of something forbidden? Though in my case... she _was_ my sister by blood."

"You..?" Hazuki asked, looking back over her shoulder to see Chou'un giving her a wry little smile.

"Forgive me for presuming anything, but you _did_ say that you've never been with another in this way," Chou'un said in a reassuring voice. "This is all very new to you, isn't it? You're finding yourself at the mercy of a heart which will not be silenced, and a body which will not be denied. It's confusing enough even without the realization that you're... _different_ in your attractions. You can't be blamed for the wishes of a heart new to the realities of womanhood." She closed her eyes. "For my own part, I endured my torment, learned from it, and moved on."

"But... I don't _want_ to move on," Hazuki whispered desperately. "I'm in love with her. Whatever it takes, I have to find her."

"Even if you must leave this world and chase your goddess back to Heaven?" Chou'un mused.

"How... how did you..?"

For just an instant, Chou'un looked mildly embarrassed. "Forgive me, Hazuki. The story you told to Ren... I'm afraid I heard more of it than I originally let on. I was... worried about you, so I was keeping close watch from the shadows. It is... an incredible tale, to be sure."

"Do you... believe me?"

"That neither you nor your Hatsumi are of this world? Perhaps. It would explain a few things, at the very least, about you and Ren both. Is Hatsumi every bit the goddess you describe?"

"Yes, she is," Hazuki nodded, shifting slightly to better meet the other woman's eyes. Her resolve was returning, and she needed to voice it now, while she still could. "I'd been ready to give up hope, but... I can't do that. She's everything I want. Everything I'm... saving myself for."

"I see," Chou'un smiled. She shifted slightly as well, and Hazuki felt her breath hitch as she took in the sight of the other woman lying naked beside her, the soft lamplight tracing every line and curve of her exquisite shape. Perhaps noting Hazuki's unblinking gaze upon her, Chou'un narrowed her eyes slightly, and her voice took on a mischievous, almost mocking tone. "And when you finally catch up with this one love, the one you've been dreaming about and saving yourself for... Tell me, Hazuki, what do you intend to _do_ with her? What comes... _naturally_, perhaps?"

And just like that, Hazuki's building resolve came crashing down around her. Truth be told, she had never given much thought beyond that first kiss. She knew that she wanted to hold her... to touch her... but beyond that...

"If I may, Hazuki-dono," Chou'un went on, "allow me to let you in on a little secret about women like ourselves, who love other women. When a man and a woman make love, they have untold centuries of instinct to guide them. The central act of their passion is as old as time, with its roots planted deeply in the need to survive, to procreate, and to continue the line. No amount of romance can change the fact that they are, at some level, acting out something primal and instinctual. In the case of two men who love one another, even though they know that they will not produce offspring, their lovemaking is still an echo of that mating instinct, and the act is a mimicking of it.

"We women who seek out our own? We have no such instinct to fall back on. Our lovemaking is a learned skill, acquired either through endless trial and error, or from the teachings of a more experienced partner." Her smile deepened. "Now, while it might be said that this puts us at a disadvantage, I prefer not to look at it in this way. In my opinion, this is what makes the love between two women the most _pure_ form of love there is. Without that base instinct to guide us or hinder us, we can devote our _entire being_ to loving and pleasuring those with whom we share ourselves."

Chou'un drew closer still, her eyes now filling Hazuki's own sight. "You have been my student in the ways of war and death, Hazuki. It would be an honor to teach you in the art of love as well. Perhaps then, when you find your Hatsumi at last..."

With a quick, graceful motion, Chou'un swung one leg over Hazuki and sat up over her, straddling her waist. She then bent down as if to kiss her, and Hazuki could only watch, like a deer in headlights, as those lips drew closer to her own. At the last moment, though, Chou'un ducked her head downward and placed the kiss at the base of Hazuki's throat. Another kiss followed, then another, each a fraction lower than the last. Along with this, Hazuki felt the brush of silk and fingertips against her skin as Chou'un opened the front of her robe, and when the next kiss came, it was nestled between her breasts, causing Hazuki to gasp at the sensation of it.

This was it, then. This world had taken her hope, had nearly taken her life, and now it was going to take something else from her as well. As much as she hated herself for it, though, there was part of her that wanted desperately to believe Chou'un's words. Surely this was nothing to be ashamed of? Surely she could indeed learn from this, so that when she found her Hatsumi at last...

_...when you find your Hatsumi at last..._

"Sei, stop," she gasped. "Please... stop."

For a terrifying moment, it appeared that Chou'un had not heard her, but then the lips that had been exploring the line of her lowest rib left her skin, and those violet eyes found hers again. "I believe I know what you're thinking," Chou'un said softly. "You're afraid of losing something, or you fear that I am taking something _from_ you. I swear to you, Hazuki, my intent is not to take, but to _give_."

"But... I can't..." Hazuki choked. "Sei, I'm not... I'm not in love with you. I'm in love with Hatsumi. She's everything to me, and... and I want her to _be_ everything to me. I... want to give _her_ my first kiss. I want _her_ to be the first one I share this with. I don't _care_ if I... if I don't know what to do. I don't care if I'm a terrible lover to start with. Sei, you talked about devoting your entire being to the one you love, and... mine is already given. Please don't deny me that."

Chou'un gave her a searching look. "I understand," she said at last. "But... will that be enough? It has pained me to watch the life drain out of you in the days we've spent together, Hazuki. Will that love truly sustain you through this impossible quest?"

"It has to," Hazuki sighed. "As long as there's the tiniest chance that I'll find her again, I'll be faithful to her. She's worth every step of this journey." A thought came to her then, and she could not help but smile. "For the ones you truly love, you can do things you'd never know that you could. I can... I can endure this loneliness for her."

For a long while, Chou'un simply stared into her eyes, and Hazuki felt herself beginning to squirm under the other woman's scrutiny. "I'm sorry if I've offended you," she said at last. "You're... incredibly beautiful, Sei, but... I can't accept your... teachings. Not for this."

An odd, wistful smile flickered across Chou'un's face. "I'm not offended," she said gently. "Envious, perhaps, but not offended. Very well, Hazuki. I shall not take away your dreams." With obvious reluctance in spite of her words, she returned to her original position at Hazuki's side, though she made no effort to cover herself.

"Envious?" Hazuki repeated, turning to look at the woman lying beside her. "You said it yourself: I'm on an impossible quest. How can you envy me?"

"Because you still haven't given up hope," Chou'un said with a forced smile. "I wish I could say the same."

Hazuki suddenly remembered the last time she'd seen that wistful expression and subsequent forced smile. "Kan'u," she whispered. "Are... are you in love with her?"

"She is little more than a dream at this point," Chou'un said wryly. "Even if I were to find her again... I do not believe my love would be to her liking. No, to be honest with myself, I believe any chance I had to live that dream was destroyed by my own hand some time ago."

Something welled up inside Hazuki, and she realized to her surprise that it was sympathy. "I know that feeling too well."

"And yet you hold fast to your dream, where I have failed my own. Hence my envy."

Hazuki had to wonder if Chou'un had any idea just how close she had come to letting go mere moments before. "Is it... a good dream?" she asked, somewhat surprised to find herself in the role of the one trying to _give_ assurance.

"A very good dream," Chou'un agreed.

"Then... why not try to find it again?"

Chou'un turned to look at Hazuki, though this time her smile was more difficult to read. "The more you say to me, Hazuki, the more I come to believe that you are truly _not_ from this world."

"It's the truth."

"Be that as it may... I do not believe that I am so _very_ much older than you, but... your youthful idealism shames me, and makes me wonder when I may have lost my own. My apologies, Hazuki: it appears that I was unknowingly trying to take something from you after all."

Silence fell between them, and once again Hazuki found herself in the uncomfortable and unfamiliar position of wishing to assure rather than be assured. "But... do you love her?"

"You remind me of her, you know," Chou'un went on. "Not just the long, pretty black hair, either. She's an idealist as well. Her dream is to end these turbulent times and one day unite the fractured nation, and in spite of the world standing against her, she never loses sight of her goals."

"Yes, but... do you love her?" Hazuki repeated.

Chou'un gave her a lopsided half-smile. "Of course I do."

"Does she know? Have you ever... confessed to her?"

"Not... properly," Chou'un said carefully.

"Then... can you tell me with all certainty that there's no chance the two of you could find love together?"

"Tell me something," Chou'un smirked. "Is this the near-death experience talking, or did you take a harder blow to the head than we thought?"

"Sei, please," Hazuki sighed. "Answer the question."

After pondering this for some time, Chou'un gave a thoughtful frown. "It seems... highly unlikely."

"More or less unlikely than me following Hatsumi to whatever world she's gone to, now that I've lost my guide?"

"Hmm, when you put it on _that_ footing," the older girl chuckled. "Well, then, since our roles have suddenly reversed, what would you suggest, my sensei?"

Hazuki gave a short laugh at this, then turned to face Chou'un directly. "Everyone's been so willing to help me on my quest," she smiled. "Let me help you on yours. Let's find Kan'u together. There's no reason we can't seek her out, and I dare say she can't be harder to find than a sorcerer. That way, even if it turns out that I can never leave this world..." A lump rose in her throat, and she tried to swallow past it. "Even if I can't find my dream, maybe... maybe I can help you find yours?"

The two warriors stared silently into one another's eyes, until eventually Chou'un was the one to look away. "I am... humbled by your offer, Azuma-dono," she whispered. "Very well, then. While I am certain I would have very much enjoyed being your teacher... if you can believe in my dream, I shall believe in yours. Let us strive for the impossible together."

"Together," Hazuki nodded, and then to her own surprise, she reached out and hugged Chou'un tightly.

"However, if you continue to hold me against you like this, I may be forced to re-think my priorities..."

"Um... sorry," Hazuki blushed, releasing the other woman and quickly scooting back.

"Teasing," Chou'un winked at her. "Well... mostly." She then pushed herself up from the bed, padded toward the wardrobe, and pulled out another sleeping robe. "I must say, though, that I have been quite envious of Ren as well. It has been quite some time since I have had someone to hold at night, even in a sisterly way." She slipped on the robe, tied up the sash, then turned to give Hazuki another of her mischievous smiles. "Unless... you would indulge me?"

Hazuki's blush deepened. "Um..."

"Of course, if you wish to continue your previous efforts in private, I can leave you to your pleasure."

"No!" Hazuki denied, forcing back the dull ache that was still present, albeit at a distance. "Um... you're sure you could keep it sisterly?"

The humor slowly drained from Chou'un's face. "I swear upon the name Chou Shiryuu. If my hands stray, I will ask Ryofu-dono to cut them off. If she refuses, I shall do it myself."

After letting the unexpected weight of these words sink in for a few moments, Hazuki nodded slowly, and patted the space beside her. With her customary grace, Chou'un returned to Hazuki's side, though this time she kept her hands clasped before her. Hazuki settled alongside her fellow dreamer, and leaned her head against the other woman's shoulder.

"Hmm," Chou'un smiled. "Not what I originally had in mind, but this will do nicely."

Hazuki snorted. "Good night, Sei."

"Pleasant dreams, Hazuki."

* * *

><p>Some time later, Hazuki felt the telltale buzzing of her <em>Souma<em> that indicated Ryofu's presence, so it came as no surprise when she opened her eyes to find the young general cuddled up beside her, opposite Chou'un. To her amusement, she found that one of Ryofu's arms was stretched over her to lightly grasp Chou'un by the wrists, as though making sure those hands would not have the chance to wander, oath or no oath.

It was hard to believe that less than a day ago she had felt herself so completely without hope. The future was still uncertain, but this time that didn't seem to be such a bad thing. Even stuck here in ancient China, even in the face of near-death and temptation, her heart had managed to find its way back to Hatsumi. She still did not know how, but the rest of her would find a way to follow. Somehow.

With a stab of regret, though, she realized that this would almost certainly mean saying goodbye to Ryofu very soon. Her family was here, with Toutaku, Kaku and Kayuu, and asking her to leave behind the very thing she'd lived so long without...

That was something to face in the morning, though. For now, Hazuki settled back to sleep between the two peerless generals, deeply grateful for their company.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Next: Epilogue - Hazuki Returns To Her Quest<em>**


	5. Hazuki Returns To Her Quest

**Epilogue:** Hazuki Returns To Her Quest

.

"We're here."

Those quiet words brought the three travelers to a halt. Hazuki looked up and down the broad earthen path, but saw nothing unusual: just road and endless forests. She turned a puzzled frown to Chou'un, and saw her confusion echoed back to her. "Where's here, exactly?" she asked.

"This is the border," Ryofu explained.

"Hmm, no markers or signs," Chou'un considered. "You're certain, Ren?"

"Borders are still changing," Ryofu nodded. "As of now, this is the edge of Yue's territory." She then looked down, and her next words were more quiet than normal, even for her. "This is as far as I can take you."

"Thank you for seeing us this far," Hazuki smiled sadly. "I only wish..."

"You know I can't," Ryofu whispered, and Hazuki felt badly for having brought it up again.

After an awkward pause, Chou'un broke the tension by turning to Ryofu and bringing her left hand and right fist together in a respectful _bao quan_ gesture. "It has been the greatest honor to fight at your side, Ren-dono. From this day, may we cross paths and never weapons."

"It was good to see you again... Sei..." Ryofu replied, returning the gesture and bowing her head to her fellow general.

Chou'un straightened up, looked from one of them to the other, than stepped a short way down the path to give the other two space for their goodbyes. Hazuki found herself thankful for the gesture, but was not sure what to say to her newest sister.

As it turned out, Ryofu spoke first. "Will I see you again?"

"I... I don't know, Ren," Hazuki sighed. "I hate to say it, but... if things go well for me, and I find her, then... no, I don't think you will."

"I understand," Ryofu whispered, but then her features lightened into a small, unexpected smile. "I'll hope for you."

"Thank you."

The smile flickered. "I'm sorry we never found your mask."

"It's okay. If it turns up, would you hold onto it for me?"

"I will." That normally emotionless face twisted through several unfamiliar expressions before Ryofu looked her in the eyes almost fiercely. "I know you'll find her. But I also know that we'll see each other again. Somehow."

Heart breaking and eyes suddenly feeling very full, Hazuki stepped forward and embraced Ryofu tightly, burying her face in the other girl's hair. "I hope so, Ren," she whispered.

Ryofu rubbed the side of her face against Hazuki's for a few moments, then stepped back and smiled again. "Safe travels, Hazuki. Sei will take good care of you." Her forehead then creased in thought. "Careful, though. She's sort of a groper."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hazuki chuckled, reaching to wipe the tears from her eyes. She gave Ryofu's hands one last squeeze, then took a deep breath and turned to follow Chou'un across the unmarked border.

After they had walked some distance in silence, Chou'un cleared her throat. "Hazuki-dono, forgive me, but there is something I feel I must tell you. A truth that you must know."

"What's that, Sei?"

"I am _not_ 'sort of' a groper."

"You're not?"

"Most assuredly not."

A few steps later, Chou'un continued. "I happen to be a _fantastic_ groper."

* * *

><p>With Kayuu and her troops having returned to the capital, Ryofu elected to take a meandering path home after seeing the others off at the border. Yue and Kaku would be safe without her for the time being, and she felt somehow that she needed this time alone to adjust to her loss. Even though she knew that everything had happened for the best, she could not deny feeling that familiar ache inside.<p>

As she had done countless times during those long years, she went fishing in the river and caught a dozen of the skinny grey fish she liked to roast. Then it was just a matter of finding some sturdy sticks upon which to spit them, after which she picked out a rocky spot near the river to make herself a fire, taking care to build it in the lee of a large boulder. She stuck the spitted fish into the ground so that they formed a ring around the cookfire, then sat back and stared silently into the crackling flames.

Even in the midst of this old routine, which she could do for fun now instead of for survival, she kept coming back to that feeling of emptiness. She had a family now, and she loved them all: Yue for her gentleness, Kaku for all her blustering devotion, Kayuu for her optimism, and her troops and her animal friends for their loyalty. She even loved Chou'un, strange as she was.

Hazuki, however, had been something different. Not more, not less, just... different. Being with her was comforting in a way she had not felt since losing her sister so long ago. When they held hands, or cuddled closely, it stirred something: some strange energy that made her feel green inside, like a forest in springtime. What had Hazuki called it? _Souma?_

As brief as it had been, Ryofu had truly enjoyed this chance to have a sister again, even if the roles had been reversed. Being the onee-san was something for which she felt a real affinity, and it was a shame that her time with her new sister had been so brief.

There came the sudden, muffled sound of a dog's bark, and Ryofu looked up to see a young girl and a large, shaggy dog stumbling out of the undergrowth and making a wobbly effort at a beeline toward her campsite. The girl fell to her hands and knees beside the fire, staring longingly at the roasting fish, while the dog waited obediently at her side.

Finally, the girl seemed to realize that she was not alone, and she looked up. Once her eyes met Ryofu's, she shrank back, trembling.

She looked several years younger than Ryofu: perhaps just on the verge of maturity. Her hair, pulled back into a pair of pigtails, appeared to be a shade of light green, and the skin of her hollow-cheeked face was very pale, though both were hard to discern considering how filthy she was. Her clothes were in tatters, hanging loosely over her shriveled frame, and her hands were covered with innumerable cuts and scrapes, some of them healing better than others.

Ryofu stared at her, and as she did, she felt that sisterly energy welling up inside her again, along with something else that was harder to name. She knew this scene too well: a girl and her dog wandering through the mountains, homeless and starving. Two more strays, abandoned by their people and left to fend for themselves.

The girl's stomach growled painfully, and she shrank back even further, her eyes desolate and hopeless.

After a moment's pause, Ryofu checked the fire, plucked out a fish that looked good and done, and held it out to her. "Want one?"

* * *

><p>Over the weeks that followed, both Hazuki and Chou'un had cause to question the wisdom of going out on the road when they had. Cold weather was setting in, and while this winter season was proving to be relatively mild, there were still a few days of difficult going here, and a few cold nights without shelter there. Sometimes the roads familiar to Chou'un were blocked, forcing them to brave thick forests and snow-capped mountains, with no clear trail through the wilds. While many nights were spent in the relative safety of an inn, sometimes there was nothing between them and the elements but a single travel blanket. They made do, though: even though she never seemed to tire of making suggestive comments while they huddled together against the cold, Chou'un remained true to her word and kept her hands (mostly) to herself.<p>

They filled the long hours of walking by telling stories. At first, this was mostly Chou'un, who regaled her companion with seemingly endless tales of past wars and travels throughout Asia. Gradually, though, Hazuki was coaxed into relating her own journeys from one world to another. While Hazuki could not be certain whether or not Chou'un actually believed any of them, she was nonetheless attentive to each one, and was not shy about asking for clarification.

"So due to your prowess in defeating their angry 'god,' they proclaimed _you_ their new god in its place?"

"I'm afraid so," Hazuki nodded, giving an exhalation that was part laugh and part sigh. "And then, since they considered Lilith to be a false prophet to their old god, they decided to sacrifice her to me."

"I presume she was displeased at the idea?"

"No, I think she was actually _encouraging_ them. She got into the ceremonial clothing for the sacrifice, then leaped into my lap and started saying 'Come on, Hazuki-chan, eat me, eat me!'"

Chou'un laughed loudly. "How very subtle of her!"

"If there's one thing Lilith is _not_, it's subtle."

They continued down the road in silence for a few moments, then Chou'un turned an odd look on Hazuki. "Do you really think she's left you here for good, then?"

"It's looking more and more like it," Hazuki sighed. "As jealous as she always was, it's the only thing that makes sense at this point."

"What do you mean?"

Hazuki found herself blushing a little. "Before, there's no way Lilith would have let me stay in the company of someone as beautiful as you for this long, much less allowed us to share a blanket."

"Ah, Hazuki," Chou'un smiled. "Keep flattering me like that, and I'll be sorely tempted to end both of our quests here and now by ravishing you on the forest floor."

"No you won't," Hazuki smiled back at her.

"You only say that because you underestimate how charming you are. Not to mention how desperate I have become in my prolonged abstinence."

"Erm... thank you, I think?"

"I'm only teasing, of course."

"About which part?"

"I'll leave that for you to guess."

The whole of their travel time had been filled with banter like this, and far from feeling threatened by it, Hazuki had actually come to enjoy it. Once Chou'un had made it clear that she would honor both Hazuki's devotion to Hatsumi and her own to Kan'u, such talk had become easy and even commonplace. For Hazuki, who had never flirted with anyone in her life (if this could truly be considered flirting – she remained uncertain), it was strangely freeing to be this comfortable around an attractive woman.

Perhaps this insane world had defeated her after all, but not in a bad way.

Hazuki abruptly stopped walking. "Sei," she said quietly, feeling the need to express this somehow.

"Hmm?" Chou'un asked, turning to face her.

A great many thoughts ran through Hazuki's mind before she decided to keep it simple. "Thank you," she said, taking a small step closer to the other woman.

Chou'un gave her a knowing smile, then held out her free arm to invite Hazuki into an embrace. "It has been my pleasure."

"_Oh, I don't __**think**__ so!"_

Literally from nowhere, a hand appeared on Hazuki's chest (probably not by accident getting a good handful in the process) and shoved her back a couple of steps, while opposite her, Chou'un was likewise pushed aside.

There, standing between them, looking as furious as Hazuki had ever seen her, was none other than Lilith.

The scowl on the Keeper's face did not last long, though, as she threw herself at Hazuki, eyes wide with concern. "Pleasure? With my Hazuki-chan? Did this horrible woman hurt you? Did she take your maidenhood? Hold still, I'll check..."

"Lilith?!" Hazuki sputtered, reflexively blocking the goddess's attempt at an impromptu purity exam.

"And _you!_" Lilith thundered, turning to face Chou'un. "What manner of wanton harlot _are_ you, trying to steal my Hazuki-chan like that?"

"Greetings," Chou'un smiled bemusedly. "You must be the Lilith I've heard so much about. I am Chou Shiryuu of Jouzan, and I assure you, _'your'_ Hazuki-chan's virtue is intact, despite some of my best efforts."

"_Best... efforts..?!"_ Lilith fumed. She then turned to one side and took a step back so that she could keep them both in sight. "Hazuki-chan, this is the _last_ time I let you wander off on your own, do you hear me? No more solo adventures! Next time wait for me before exploring a world full of hussies like her."

"But you're the one who left me here!" Hazuki cried, feeling some of that long-dormant anger clawing its way past her shock and confusion.

"Nonsense!" Lilith snorted. "I took my eye off of you for a few minutes, and poof! Off you went! I've been looking all over for you! How are we supposed to find Eve if you keep disappearing like you did, hmm?"

Hazuki was, in a word, gobsmacked. Most of her was too shocked at having Lilith here in the first place to try to understand what she was ranting about. Was she blaming _Hazuki_ for this separation? After Lilith had left her here, unarmed, without hope? After she had nearly died, and nearly succumbed to loneliness once and for all?

She wanted to scream and rage at Lilith, and demand to know if she had any idea what Hazuki had gone through because of the Keeper's petulance, but before she could do so, Chou'un struck first.

"Charming," she smiled, stepping into Lilith's field of vision and fixing the goddess with her gaze. "Truly, Hazuki's description of your beauty, impressive as it sounded, could never do justice to the reality."

"Huh?" Lilith squeaked, looking from Hazuki to Chou'un. "She said I was..? That I was... eep?"

At that moment, Hazuki had the rare pleasure of seeing Lilith completely flummoxed as she returned Chou'un's stare, and as Hazuki watched with a mix of fascination and dawning horror, Chou'un closed the distance between them and kissed Lilith deeply.

After at least a good thirty seconds, Chou'un stepped back, leaving the Keeper standing there with her eyes closed, blushing profusely, an expression of complete bliss settling over her sharp-featured face.

"What are you doing?" Hazuki hissed.

"Keeping you from ruining your best chance," Chou'un shot back at her in a voice just over a whisper. "This _is_ your guide, is she not?"

"She is. But..."

"But _nothing_," Chou'un said with a shake of the head. She stepped closer to Hazuki, while Lilith merely teetered in place, her eyes still closed to the world. "Now calm yourself before you say something you'll regret for the rest of your life."

"But she... she left me..." Hazuki said lamely, holding onto the remains of her fury.

"And now she's come back for you. Hasn't a part of you been hoping for this all along?"

At this point, Lilith shook off her trance and smiled dazedly. "Note to self," she whispered. "Bookmark."

"Well, then," Chou'un said briskly. "I imagine the two of you will be on your way to find the missing goddess, yes?"

"That's right!" Lilith beamed, slamming her fist into her open palm. "If she's not in this book, we need to keep checking. Come on, Hazuki-chan, let's get moving!"

"No, no... just... just wait a moment," Hazuki stammered, shaking her head. After weeks upon weeks of thinking she'd never have this chance, the reality of it was happening too quickly. "Sei, what about... what about Kan'u? I promised you..."

Chou'un looked sternly at Hazuki. "Azuma-dono," she said coldly, "I am _quite_ certain I did _not_ just hear you suggesting such a thing." Her face and voice then softened. "Leave Kan'u to me: you have your own lost love to find."

"Her lost love has already found _her_," Lilith added helpfully, grabbing Hazuki around the waist. "She just hasn't realized it yet."

"Sei..." Hazuki said, looking helplessly at her most recent companion.

In reply, Chou'un stood up straight and saluted her with the same _bao quan_ she'd given Ryofu weeks before. "Good travels to you, _Tsuki Kachou_," she said with a wink.

"Thank you... _Hoshi Kachou_..." Hazuki replied, bowing as best she could with Lilith hanging onto her. "Thank you for everything."

"You can thank me by telling me how it all turned out when next we meet," Chou'un smirked. "And once again, Hazuki... it was my pleasure."

"Enough about pleasuring my Hazuki-chan!" Lilith whined. "Time to move!"

The morning exploded with green, and Hazuki felt the tug of transition between worlds. It had been so long since the last one, though, that it took her completely by surprise, and the vertigo of seeing Chou'un and the wooded path ripped away from her was almost enough to make her lose her breakfast.

Then the scene re-assembled itself around her, and she and Lilith were once again standing in the Great Library. Hazuki grabbed a nearby shelf to balance herself as Lilith picked up the open book at their feet and returned it to its shelf.

"Hazuki-han!" came a squawking voice, as Ken-chan landed heavily on her shoulder. "I see Lilith-nee-san has returned you safely to us!"

"I suppose she has," Hazuki said carefully, looking askance at the Keeper.

"Kogechibi, take that... _thing_ away from Hazuki-chan and put it away before she damages something with it," Lilith waved, indicating Hazuki's naginata. With a happy giggle, the tiny cloaked figure tottered up beside Hazuki, grabbed the weapon and carried it off in spite of the fact that it was at least ten times her height.

"Oh, speaking of which," Lilith then smiled, unfastening the top button of her ruffled shirt and reaching inside. With that characteristic lack of subtlety, she slowly and languidly pulled Hazuki's sword out from between her breasts and passed it to the other girl. "I found this lying on the floor just outside this book. If you're going to wander off by yourself, you should at least take this with you."

Hazuki took the sword in hand, and felt a rush of Eve's energy flood through her at this long-absent contact. With it, her mind quickly cleared, and she nodded slowly to herself. Her quest was not over after all, and here was the single best reminder of what she still sought.

All the same...

"Lilith," Hazuki said carefully as they walked toward the center of the library.

"Yes, Hazuki-chan?"

"Why did..." she started, but then shook her head and tried again. "What happened, before?"

"Before what?"

"When we... parted ways? What do you remember about it?"

Lilith's face flushed. "What do I remember? That I can't let you out of my sight; that's what I remember! I take my eyes off you for a few minutes, and you go and get yourself lost!"

"But... what about... what led up to that?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lilith scowled, but Hazuki was certain she saw something else in the Keeper's eyes. Something that looked a lot like... _pain_. Just as quickly, though, she covered it up. "If we're going to find Eve, we need to stick together, all right? No more leaving me alone and going off on your own?"

Hazuki realized that this was probably as close to an apology as she would get. After seeing the hurt in the eyes of her companion, though, she decided to let that be enough. Though it was difficult to remember sometimes, Hazuki knew that she was not the only one searching for someone she missed deeply. "I won't," she said softly.

"Good. Ken-chan, find us another book! Time's wasting!"

As Ken-chan fluttered off, Hazuki came to a decision. She was not sure how much of it was self-preservation and how much of it was the true desire to extend an olive branch, but she could think about that later. "Say, um... Lilith?"

"Yes, Hazuki-chan?" Lilith beamed, batting her eyelashes at the taller girl.

"Um... if you find that you... want to take a break once in a while..?" she said, fidgeting a little. "I... think that would be okay."

Lilith's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Um, sure," Hazuki nodded.

"Wonderful!" Lilith squealed, literally leaping up and clapping her hands together. "Because it just so happens that the world of Gerodross is having a three-day wine festival, starting today! What do you think, Hazuki-chan? Wouldn't it be nice to sit under the twin suns, sipping wine together?"

"Perhaps tea for me."

"Wouldn't it be nice to sit under the twin suns, sipping wine and tea together?"

"That sounds... relaxing."

"Sitting under the twin suns drinking wine and tea together, until I spill it all over myself, and ask you to help me lick it off?"

"I'll get you a napkin."

"Until I spill it all over myself, and ask you to help me napkin it off, with your touch lingering on my..."

"Lilith..."

* * *

><p>Chou'un had spent the majority of her life's travels alone, so the quiet was nothing new, as such. Still, after the happy companionship of her recent weeks, this was going to take some getting used to again.<p>

What an exit Hazuki had made, though! Disappearing in a flash of green fire and radiance along with the buxom goddess in the interesting hat... It had been difficult not to be skeptical of the otherworldly elements of Hazuki's stories, but if that wasn't proof, it was damned close. It was nice to know that her new friend might have a chance to fulfill her quest after all.

And if she did not... well, perhaps they would indeed meet again, and since Chou'un would almost certainly remain unattached even if she managed to find Kan'u again...

No, that kind of thinking would never do. Hazuki had believed in her, and giving up her own desire for happiness before it had begun would tarnish the memory of her recent comrade-in-arms. No, if Chou'un truly wished to honor Hazuki, she simply had no choice but to find Kan'u and be ridiculously happy with her.

Of course, she was no closer to _that_ goal than she had been for literally months now.

As she continued down the well-worn road, Chou'un saw another figure in the distance, heading in the other direction. This was nothing extraordinary, as she frequently met fellow travelers even in the colder season, but there was something odd about this one's shape. As she drew nearer, Chou'un saw that the other person was a bent-over old fellow with a walking stick, carrying a large basket on his hunched back. His face was covered by a wide-brimmed conical hat, and his clothing was dusty and worn from the road.

In the time it took for the distance between them to close, the man fell no fewer than three times, but after each stumble he used his staff to lever himself back to his unsteady feet. It was actually quite painful to watch.

"Greetings, ojii-san," Chou'un called to him as she stepped closer. "Perhaps you should give your legs a rest?"

The hat tilted up at her, and while she did not see the old man's face, she did notice a long braid of white hair, along with a pair of elaborate golden earrings, the likes of which Chou'un had not seen since her journeys far to the west. "Well, aren't you a dear," came a soft, wizened voice. "No time for that, though, if I'm going to make it to the inn by nightfall."

Chou'un looked up at the sun, and guessed the hour to be just about noon. "The next inn is several hours' walk yet, seeing as I left it just this morning. And meaning no disrespect, but I'm afraid I outpace you significantly. You'll never reach it before sunset."

"No choice but to try, though," the old traveler chuckled as he continued lurching forward, while Chou'un followed alongside him, ready to catch him if needed. "If I need to sleep under the stars, it wouldn't be the first time."

"There may be bandits about, you know."

"An old man like me has nothing worth stealing, dear child."

"I'm not so sure," Chou'un frowned, considering those earrings.

"You needn't worry, my dear," he wheezed, though his tone indicated that he was smiling. "You've a road of your own to travel. I'll manage my own... whoop!"

Losing his footing again, the man toppled sideways, but Chou'un was there to steady him. "That's enough bravado, ojii-san," she snorted. "Come on, let me carry you the rest of the way."

"My child, I would hardly ask a lady to..."

"Never mind that," Chou'un interrupted him. "The lady is the one asking _you_, ojii-san. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I left you here to face the bandits alone. Climb on."

She crouched down beside him, and after some effort to manage it without losing either her spear or his walking stick, she hoisted him up piggyback-style and headed back the way she'd started from that morning. He was extremely light, and he held himself in place with a hand on her shoulder while she carried his legs to either side. "Thank you, fellow traveler," he said, his voice very close to her ear. He smelled of dust and unfamiliar spices, and again Chou'un found herself reminded of her younger years, when she had wandered far to the south and west.

They made it back to the inn well before evening. Chou'un set the old man down some distance away (for the sake of his dignity), then helped him hobble the remaining way to the open-air porch, where a few customers were drinking and dining.

"There we are, ojii-san," she smiled as she helped him to remove his basket and take a seat at one of the unoccupied tables.

"Your kindness is without end, child," he sighed as he sank into the chair.

"Shall I get us some tea?"

"That would be splendid. Thank you."

Chou'un nodded, then straightened up to go, but before she could, the old man's hand shot out and grasped her wrist far more firmly than she would have expected. More than that, his hand felt strangely warm, but in a soothing way that seemed to spread through her arm and across her entire body. As she turned surprised eyes toward him, the traveler tipped back his hat and smiled at her. "A traveler's blessing to you, Chou Shiryuu," he said, winking one red-irised eye. She saw then that his face in fact looked very young, with his dark skin smooth and unblemished against that halo of white hair. Upon his forehead was painted a small red circle, once again reminding her of the people of those distant lands.

"You've traveled a long way, ojii-san," she said absently.

"Further than you know, my dear," he smiled.

Chou'un nodded to the strange man, then went to fetch the tea she had promised. By the time she returned, however, he was nowhere to be found.

This was certainly turning out to be a memorable day.

Deciding not to waste the tea, at least, Chou'un took a seat opposite where the odd fellow had been. There was a bit of a chilly breeze, so she gathered her cloak about herself and put up its hood, as though out of reflex. Strangely, though, she did not feel very cold, and she didn't think it was just the tea.

Traveler's blessing, eh?

She had just finished her own cup, and was starting on the one she'd brought for him, when she heard a familiar voice coming from outside. She chanced a glance sideways, and saw a violet-haired young mother and her obscenely cute little daughter speaking to the innkeeper.

"_Shujin_, how much further is it to Touka Village?" the woman asked. Kouchuu - that was her name. That would make the little girl Riri, whom Kan'u had saved months before, with a little behind-the-scenes help from _Kachou Kamen_. Chou'un smiled at the memory, but it quickly faded: this had been right before losing Kan'u's trail for good.

"Touka Village?" the innkeeper pondered. "Ah! The volunteer army is stationed there, and they got rid of all the local bandits."

"Yes, that's right, that's the village," Kouchuu agreed.

"You have to cross two or three more mountains from here," said the innkeeper. "It would probably take you four or five days, especially with the little one in tow. Are you thinking of joining the volunteer army?"

"I have heard a rumor," Kouchuu replied, "that a person by the name of Kan'u, who helped me before, is a commander there, so I am thinking of giving her a helping hand."

Chou'un had been about to take another drink, but at the mention of that name, she stopped short, and for a moment, she forgot to breathe. A thrill ran though her entire body, surging from fingers to toes before collecting in the area of her heart, making her chest clench almost painfully with excitement.

With that excitement, however, she completely missed the rest of the innkeeper's directions, so after Kouchuu had continued on her way, Chou'un called out to the man. "_Shujin?_"

"Yes, what is it?" he smiled as he approached her table.

"Can you give me the details about the volunteer army at Touka Village?"

She listened as patiently as she could as he told the story of the great generals Kan'u, Chouhi and Bachou, who along with their strategist Koumei had made great strides toward eradicating the bandit menace under the flag of a young warlord named Ryuubi Gentoku. She then asked for the same detailed directions he'd just given the lady and her child, paid him a much larger sum than the tea was worth, and hurried on her way.

_Thank you, ojii-san,_ she whispered to herself as she once more took to the road. _Well, Hazuki-dono? It seems we may both have our chance after all..._

_.  
><em>

**The End**

.

Yamihime: Wings of the Butterfly  
>by Rain Fletcher (Suzume CA)<br>3 May 2011 - 2 September 2012

* * *

><p><strong>Acknowledgements:<strong>

Azuma Hazuki, Azuma Hatsumi (Eve), Lilith, Ken-chan and Kogechibi are from _Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito_, created by Root and Studio Deen

(These versions of) Chou'un Shiryuu, Ryofu Housen, Toutaku Chuuei, Kaku Bunwa, Kayuu, Chinkyuu Koudai, Kouchuu Kanshou, Riri, Kan'u Unchou, Chouhi Yokutoku, Bachou Mouki, Shokatsuryou Koumei and Ryuubi Gentoku (and even that innkeeper fellow) are from _Koihime Musou_ and its sequels _Shin Koihime Musou_ and _Shin Koihime Musou: Otome Tairan_, created by BaseSon and Dogakobo

Minamoto Chikaru is from _Strawberry Panic_, created by Kimino Sakurako and Madhouse (and she is _awesome)_

The dialogue between Ryofu and Chinkyuu (both words of it) was from episode 7 of _Shin Koihime Musou_ (appropriately titled _Chinkyuu is Taken In by Ryofu_)

The dialogue between Kouchuu, the innkeeper and Chou'un was from episode 11 of _Koihime Musou_ (_Kan'u Encounters Ryuubi_)

Thank you one and all for your patience as I fumbled my way through this one. Special thanks (as always) to Ninemil, not only for being his normal awesome self, but for the aforementioned picture of Hazuki bearing a naginata, as well as the possibility of a War Council picture in the future. Glad to be able to put those images in your head, my friend. ^^

I really need to get back to _Strange Fire_ now. I seem to recall leaving it on a bit of a cliffhanger..?


End file.
